A Wedding Lost
by Batasyl
Summary: I do—two words wedding planner Riley Matthews will never utter. The broken heart in her doesn't believe in happily ever after anymore until a wedding reunites her with her ex—suddenly she's thinking of second chances…  But Lucas Friar isn't a teen anymore. He's all man. And working with him on the wedding is more than she can take.
1. Chapter 1

_Peaceandrucas this is for you. You gave me idea for this story, I hope I gave it justice._

 _So my lovely readers send me story ideas and you might just see it posted. Enjoy reading._

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 **Chapter 1**

Riley Matthews checked her watch. Timing was perfect. With a quiet glow of satisfaction, she smiled at the bride nervously waiting. She reached out and twitched the gown into a perfect fold. The train was spread out behind, the lace and beading shimmered in the light.

The father of the bride cleared his throat. "Time?" he asked.

"In just a moment the organ will begin the wedding march, that'll be your cue," she said easily. After three years of managing weddings big and small, she was confident in all the plans made for this particular one.

Sarah Carpenter was radiant. Riley felt a pang, as she did at almost every wedding. She'd once dreamed of a lavish wedding, complete with bridal gown, a half dozen bridesmaids and a celebration reception with family and friends that went on forever. But she's never going to have that, so she did her best to give a perfect day to every one of her clients.

The organist shifted from the music she'd played for the bridesmaids' entry to Lohengren's Wedding March. The familiar chords filled St. Patrick Cathedral resounding loud enough to be heard outside by tourists and New Yorkers alike. Riley smiled in reassurance.

"I'll meet you right here after the ceremony," she assured Sarah. "We'll take photos at the altar and then head for the reception."

As the bride began her walk down the long aisle of the old cathedral, Riley watched from the door. The huge church was almost filled to capacity. Harry Carpenter was a City Councilman, a patron of the opera and from old money. His only daughter was marrying a man he deemed worthy of her, so he had pulled out all stops.

Riley's gaze moved to the groom. His eyes were for Sarah only. She smiled again. This was going to be perfect. Her gaze drifted around the standing congregation. One man, near the front on the groom's side, stood taller than the people surrounding him. He turned his head and his gaze locked with hers. For a moment Riley's heart stopped. It couldn't be! She felt the church spin around her. It was a coincidence, someone who looked like _him_. He couldn't be here. He's in Texas expanding their family ranch and making millions in the process.

She almost marched down the aisle to him, but reason took hold. Then, with a wink, he turned to face the front.

Riley forgot about the myriad details still remaining to ensure the wedding and reception progressed flawlessly. Her breath hitched. What on earth could he be doing here?

She'd often dreamed of running into him again. Sometimes she slapped him so hard his head snapped back. Other times, she pretended she hadn't a clue who he was, and when reminded, feigned difficulty in remembering. Once in a while, she let herself fantasize his return was because he couldn't live without her. But that was so far from reality she rarely let herself indulge in that particularly fantasy.

Riley backed into the antechamber, wishing she could deny what she'd seen. There was no way the man she loved with all her heart for years and abandoned her would show up out of the blue now.

…

Two hours later Riley wanted to scream. She was operating on two levels — one the competent wedding consultant, making sure everything went perfectly for her client. The other, a frustrated woman who couldn't stop thinking about her ex.

The crowd at the Yacht Club made it impossible to pause even for a moment to search out any one particular person. Still, even as she kept an eye on the celebration, she searched each dark–blond man who came into her line of sight. If he had been at the church, he was sure to be at the reception.

Then it happened. For another endless moment, Riley locked eyes with Lucas Friar, her ex she had not seen in years. Not seen, not heard from, tried to forget. The activity surrounding her faded, it was as if she and Lucas were alone in the universe.

Reality returned when Riley's assistant nudged her.

"The music will be starting soon, and the dancing. Should we do anything to hurry them along in eating?"

The spell broken, Riley dragged her eyes away and looked at Tara. "No, the music will automatically have them finishing. After a few dances, we'll have the bridal couple cut the cake."

She wanted to look around. Wanted to see what Lucas was doing. Was he coming to speak to her? Or had he slipped out of a side door, not wanting a confrontation?

"Then the older crowd can feel free to leave," Tara said wisely. Riley nodded, her throat tight with tension. Every cell was attuned to Lucas. She couldn't be focused on him, she needed to concentrate on the tasks at hand.

"You look as if you need a drink," a deep, once familiar voice said. Lucas Friar stood next to her, holding out a glass of champagne.

Tara smiled brightly and slipped away. Riley wanted to call her back, but her voice wouldn't work. She stared at the champagne.

"I'm working, I don't drink when I'm on a job," she said stiffly. She couldn't bring herself to look up into the emerald eyes she knew she'd recognize. The scenarios she'd so often pictured faded. The reality was she didn't have a word to say to him. Her heart fluttered, memories crowded painfully in her mind. Of the love she'd once felt for him, the awe that Mr. Perfect had noticed her. Their final words yelled in anger.

"How have you been, Riley?" he asked. He took a sip of the sparkling beverage.

Her eyes tracked the glass, watched his lips caress the edge as he drank. Lips that had once brought her to ecstasy. And shattered her world when they spoke goodbye.

"Just fine," she said, glancing around, wishing desperately Maya was here to rescue her, or that she'd find the strength to walk away. She didn't want to be within a mile of Lucas and his seductive lips, his bedroom eyes, his overwhelming sexy magnetism. But her feet felt rooted. Seven years had passed. Hadn't she built up any resistance? She did not love him. She didn't even like him. But she couldn't walk away.

That was his way, not hers.

"Lucas, here you are. Martin's been looking for you." The beautiful blond bridesmaid came up and took his arm. She smiled at Riley. "It's a fabulous wedding. When I get married, I want you to be the consultant!" She turned back to Lucas. "Come on, Martin and Sarah are ready for the toasts, and you're elected to give one."

Lucas looked at Riley. "I'll call you."

"Don't bother."

"It's no bother." Without warning, he leaned over and kissed her.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Because you guys are amazing I'm posting a longer chapter. Thank you for the positive feedback you guys :)_**

 _Peaceandrucas: glad you like the story so far...thanks again for the idea._

 _Anonymous Me: thank you for the lovely comment, I'm glad that you love my short stories._

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 **C** **hapter 2**

Lucas watched Riley turn and walk away. He was barely conscious of Martin's sister hanging on his arm. He couldn't believe he'd run into Riley. Pain pierced as he remembered their last words. He'd been such a young, arrogant fool. His world had been on a roller coaster for years — from the day he met Riley. How was he to have known how things would turn out?

"Wow," Julia said. "I didn't know you knew the wedding consultant." She looked after Riley with speculation. "And very well, I'd say."

"We've known each other since middle school," he replied, not willing to share private matters. "Let's go get the toast over with."

"Martin was thrilled you were able to stop off in New York to come to the wedding," Julia said as they walked toward the head table. "He convinced Sarah to plan the wedding when there were no races scheduled, but he knows your training is on–going."

"I wouldn't have missed it," he said politely. He glanced over his shoulder, Riley had disappeared. But he now knew she ran Perfect Moments. He'd asked Martin the first instant he'd spotted her. He could find her with no trouble.

Her being here surprised him, as did the fact she ran a very successful business. How long had she been back in New York? He hadn't heard she'd left Paris. Not that he kept close ties with anyone anymore. Once he left, he hadn't looked back.

It was past time to mend fences. If they could be mended.

The reception of his friend's wedding wasn't the place to do it, however. He'd find her later, take her to dinner. They'd discuss things like rational adults.

When the bride and groom departed amidst much fanfare a couple of hours later, Lucas looked around for Riley. He couldn't find her in the dwindling crowd. His jaw tightened. She'd run out on him. Was that any way for a friend to act?

A thought struck. She was still his friend, wasn't she? Or had she forgotten about their friendship sometime during the last seven years? Could she have done that? He hadn't heard anything from her. No response from her to his letters. Not a card at Christmas or his birthday.

Since his break-up with Riley he wasn't into romance-y stuff. Normally he avoided weddings like the plague. Why had Riley gone into this business?

Now he wanted to speak to her. If she thought ducking out early would slow him down, she didn't know him very well. But she would.

 **…**

Riley knew hearing from Lucas again was inevitable. Seeing him at the wedding had not prepared her for that kiss. Why had he kissed her? The thought had been churning at the forefront of her mind since his lips touched hers. How dare he act as if they were friends. How dare he awaken memories best left deeply buried. His kiss had burned into her psyche and she fervently wished it hadn't. She wanted nothing more to do with Lucas Friar!

Since the moment she'd spotted him at the wedding, however, she'd known he'd want to speak to her. When the phone call came Monday morning around ten, she was resigned to it.

"I'll take you to lunch," he said without preamble.

"I'm busy."

"You're not, you're avoiding me."

"Oh, like you've avoided me for the last seven years?" she asked sweetly. Her hands were clammy with nerves. She wanted to rail against him for what he'd done. But some small part of her yearned to hear what he had to say, learn what he'd been doing with his life. For a few brief, wonderful days, she'd thought she'd share that life with him.

Never again would she let herself be carried away by some man's blandishments. She had her feet firmly on the ground and would never open herself up again to heartache that could not be mended.

"We need to talk."

"The time for talking was years ago. Why are you really calling me? Do you want something?" she asked, refusing to dwell on that brief brush of lips another second.

"To see you." His voice was low and seductive. Riley remembered how she'd been so enchanted with it when she had been a teenager. Wasn't she wiser now?

"There's no reason."

"You're one of my best friend, that's reason enough."

She drew a deep breath, wishing her heart would stop pounding. "Lunch, then. But not a long one. I have a heavy workload. August is a busy month for weddings, and we have seven more to manage before month end."

"As a guest, I have to say Martin and Sarah's wedding seemed perfect."

"As long as the bride and groom feel the same, I'm pleased." She couldn't help the tiny burst of pride she felt with his compliment. If he stayed around long enough, he'd see his teenage ex-girlfriend had matured into a competent, successful businesswoman. One who had no need of him.

Would the knowledge make any difference? Not to the outcome of their relationship, that had been determined long ago.

"I'll pick you up at noon," he said, and hung up.

She leaned back in her chair, toying with her pencil. Two hours until lunch. Could she fortify her defenses in that length of time? She'd be cool and calm. She could do this. And then he'd say goodbye and leave for another seven years. Or longer.

 **…**

Putting together a decent wedding in a month was nearly impossible, even with someone as capable as Riley handling things. Certain things took time, like printing invitations, ordering wedding dresses, coordinating with vendors… Fortunately at Perfect Moments wedding chapel, she and Maya handled most of the work.

"Thank you for squeezing this last wedding in," Riley said as they sat around the conference room table at their Monday morning staff meeting. "I know you all would much rather be enjoying the last leg of summer."

"It's fine," Tara Harper, their assistant manager, insisted. "My boyfriend and I are leaving for Cuba next month anyways."

"It gives me something to do until Julian can fly back from Chicago," Gretchen Carter added. "We're driving up to see his parents, and working another wedding will keep me from worrying about the trip."

"You've already met his family, Gretchen. Why are you nervous?"

"Because this time I'm his fiancé," Gretchen said, looking down in amazement at the ring he'd just given to her last week.

Riley tried not to notice that all of her formerly single employees were now paired off. At one time, they had all been able to commiserate about their singleness, but now, it was just Riley and perhaps Maya who went home alone each night. And she was okay with that. She anticipated a lifetime of going home alone. It's just that the status quo had changed so quickly for some of them. The past year had been a whirlwind of romance for the ladies at Perfect Moments.

Despite the fact that she was a wedding planner, Riley didn't actually believe in any of that stuff. She got into the industry with Maya by accident. For the other, it was an amazingly lucrative business. Despite the dismal marriage statistics, people seemed happy to take the leap, shelling out thousands of dollars, only to shell out more to their divorce attorneys at some point down the road.

As far as Riley was concerned, the least she could do was give them a wedding to remember. She'd do her best to orchestrate a perfect day they could look back on.

"I'll have the digital invitations ready by tomorrow. Do you have the list of email addresses for me to send them out?" Gretchen asked.

Riley snapped out of her thoughts and looked down at her tablet. "Yes, I have the list here." Normally, e-invites were out of the question for a formal wedding, but there just wasn't time to get paper ones designed, printed, addressed, mailed and gather RSVPs in a month's time.

"We're doing a fall theme, you said?" Maya asked.

"That's what the bride mentioned. She was pretty vague about the whole thing. I've got an appointment with them on the calendar at eleven, so we'll start firming everything up then. Maya, you're doing engagement photos on Friday morning, right?"

"Yep," Maya said. "They wanted to take their shots at the Garden City."

Neither Maya or Riley have met the bride but she insisted that they plan her wedding. Normally, Maya or Riley conducts a meeting with the bride and groom and assess if they can plan the wedding for them but the bride insisted that the groom gave her full control of the preparation and the cost also doesn't matter.

"Okay. If that's all for this morning," Gretchen said, "I'm going to head to the lab and finish processing Saturday's wedding photos."

Riley looked over her checklist. "Yep, that's it."

Tara and Gretchen got up, filing out of the conference room, but Maya loitered by the table. She watched Riley for a moment with a curious expression on her face. "What's going on with you? You seem distracted. Grumpier than usual."

That was sweet of her to point out. She knew she wasn't that pleasant this time of year, but she didn't need Maya reminding her of it. "Nothing is going on with me."

Maya crossed her arms over her chest and gave Riley a look that told her she was going to stand there until she spilled.

"September is coming." That pretty much said it all.

"What is this, _Game of Thrones?_ Of course September is coming. It's August 2, honey, twenty nine more days and it's September 1." Riley said.

Riley set down her tablet and frowned. Each year, September is a challenge for her. Normally, she would try going on a trip to avoid all of it, but with the late wedding, she didn't have time. Staying home meant she'd have to resort to being a shut-in. She certainly wasn't interested in spending it with any one. The first time she did that, she ended up bawling her eyes out, called her date by Lucas' name and that made for an awkward evening.

Riley leaned back in the conference room chair and sighed. "It's bothering me more than usual this year." And it was. She didn't know why, but it was. Maybe it was the combination of her friends being blissfully in love colliding with seeing Lucas and the kiss.

"You sure it has nothing to do with seeing Lucas?" Maya asked.

"How did you—never mind. Of course you knew. You're Maya Penelope Hart. I can't keep anything from you."

"So spill and make it quick. I am a very busy woman after all…which by the way is your fault!" Maya planted her hands on her hips. "You don't like September, but by damn, you've got to take the time off, Riley. You work seven days a week sometimes."

"Language!" Riley dismissed her concerns. Working didn't bother her as much as being idle. She liked her job. "I don't work the late hours you and Tara do. I'm never here until midnight."

"It doesn't matter. You're still putting in too much time. You need to get away from all of this. Maybe go to a tropical island and have a fling with a sexy stranger."

At that, Riley snorted. "I'm sorry, but a man is not the answer to my problems. That actually makes it worse."

"I'm not saying fall in love and marry the guy. I'm just saying to keep him locked in your hotel suite until Halloween if possible. What can a night or two of hot sex hurt? Stop stalling and talk _Lucas_ now!"

Riley looked up at Maya and realized that her friend won't let this go. "Lucas was at the Carpenter's wedding. Seeing him after all these years brought back memories that I don't want to remember and to top it all he has to show up now. Maya a lot of things happened during that September. Seven years and I can still feel the pain and after seeing him suddenly the hurt feels twice as much. Plus he kissed me."

Maya's mouth dropped open and she sunk back down into her seat. "What? When did this happen?"

Riley took a big sip of her soy chai latte before she answered. "Before he left to give a speech for the newly-wed couple. I know it probably meant nothing to him, but Maya it felt something to me and that's what's been bothering me. Rationally I know I shouldn't feel anything anymore. It's been years! Why can't I feel nothing when it comes to Lucas Friar?"

"Oh peaches. It's Lucas. He's your first crush, your first kiss, your first love, he's all your first but most importantly he's your first real heart ache. You and I both know that the latter is the hardest to forget. No one really forgets a heart break they just move forward with it," Maya noted.

"That's one way of putting it."

"It is what it is. On the plus side, you won't see him again, right?"

"Nope. I am actually going to lunch with him later. I figure I might as well get this over with. I have things that I wanted to say, things I should have said back then but didn't and I think for me to completely move forward I need to let out all these bottled up feelings for him."

"That's my girl. You know where to find me if you ever need to talk after."

Riley nodded and watched Maya leave the room. She picked up her tablet and her drink, following her out the door to her office. Settling in at her desk, she pulled out a new file folder and wrote _Watson Wedding_ on the tab. She needed to get everything prepared for their preliminary meeting.

Staying busy would keep September, and Lucas, off her mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Lucas pulled into the parking lot at Perfect Moments. He parked and went inside the facility. Stepping through the front doors, he knew instantly why Lily had insisted on marrying here. The inside was stunning with high ceilings, crystal chandeliers, tall fresh flower arrangements on the entryway table and arched entry-ways leading to various wings of the building. His mom would love this venue.

He looked down at his watch. It was a minute to eleven, so he was right on time for the appointment. Lucas felt apprehensive coming here today. He completely messed up. He should have just talked Lily out of using Perfect Moments as their wedding coordinators. Hell, he didn't really want there to be a wedding at all.

Lucas heard a door open down one of the hallways and a moment later he found himself once again face-to-face with Riley Matthews. She stopped short in the archway of the foyer, clutching a tablet to her gray silk blouse. Even as a teenager, she'd had a classic beauty about her. He'd always thought she would grow up into a beautiful woman.

Today, her pink lips were parted in concern, a frown lining her brow. Then she took a breath and shook it off. She tried to hide her emotions under a mask of professionalism, but he could tell she wasn't pleased to see him.

"Lucas? I wasn't expecting to see you until noon. I told you I'm very busy. I'm actually on my way to meet up with a client."

"I know," he replied.

Riley swung her dark ponytail over her shoulder, her nose wrinkling. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I am your 11:00 am appointment," he added, holding out his arms.

He watched Riley try to process the news. Apparently Lily hadn't given her a heads-up, but why would she? He doubted Lily knew anything about Riley. She wasn't the kind of girl to give much thought to how her choices would affect other people.

"I know this is an unusual arrangement, but Lily is an unusual woman, as you know."

That seemed to snap Riley out of her fog. She nodded curtly and extended her arm. "Of course. Come this way to my office and we can discuss the details."

Lucas followed behind her, appreciating the snug fit of her pants over the curve of her hips and rear. She was wearing a pair of low heels that gave just enough lift to flatter her figure. It was a shame she walked in such a stiff, robotic way. He wouldn't mind seeing those hips sway a little bit, but he knew the new Riley was too uptight for that. Somewhere along the way she lost her free-spirited side, it's now been replaced by a no-nonsense, practical, serious aura. She walked like she was marching into battle, even if it was a simple trip down the hallway.

He followed her into her office and took a seat in the guest chair. Her office was pleasantly decorated, but extremely tidy and organized. He could tell every knickknack had its place, every file had a home.

"Can I get you something to drink? We have bottled water, some sparkling juices and ginger ale."

"The place looks amazing Riles, I'm so proud of you," Lucas said. That wasn't what he'd planned to say to Riley when he saw her again—and he'd planned how and when he'd see her again many, many times in the past seven years. There were times it had consumed him whole. "I'm sorry. I know this is difficult. I wanted to talk to you first before—."

"Before I realized that I will be planning your wedding," Riley murmured. "Go ahead Lucas, talk."

"You've changed. You're confident now," Lucas said. He couldn't seem to help himself.

"I would hope so."

"Riley."

He stood and look down at her then, and it was worse than he expected. She really is so beautiful. Those chocolate eyes that had made him believe in magic. That glossy long brown hair, pulled back today into a ponytail and still too attractive. And that soft mouth of hers that used to smile so easily. She was his weakness in human form and for years he hated her for what she'd done to him.

Lucas didn't understand why he couldn't summon that hate the way he should. "Why did you decide to become a wedding planner?"

His voice was gritty and he didn't understand the shadows in those wonderful eyes of hers, or the way she looked away from him.

"Because," she said, fierce and hot, surprising him with all that emotion. "I wanted to make absolutely certain that other women get to have their happily ever after."

"Of course." Lucas said coolly.

 _This was so much harder than she'd expected it to be._ Riley ordered herself to sit still, to keep from fidgeting—from betraying herself any more than her presence here already did.

"Perfect Moments doesn't coordinate out of state events," she said now, impressed with the breezy tone of voice she'd summoned up from somewhere, as if she was completely unaffected by the fact he just dropped a bomb on her.

She couldn't process anything. He was so close to her that she needed only to shift position and she'd be touching him again. So close that she was sure she could _feel_ him anyway, that white hot burn he generated all around him without even trying that made her feel hot and flushed.

She also couldn't understand how she could hate someone as much as she told herself she hated Lucas, and yet still be this susceptible to him. Even after what he'd done.

This was _closure._ She'd spent years trying to move on with her life, and the knowledge that Lucas is getting married had hit her. Hard.

"I'm really sorry Riley," he said. He reached out to brush the back of his fingers across her cheek. She looked at him, drawing back.

"Don't." Riley wasn't sure she could trust herself to speak. She stood and stepped back and Lucas dropped his hand, but that considering gleam in his emerald eyes told her he knew he'd got under her skin.

He always knew. It was one more reason to hate him.

"Please leave. I will have Maya contact Miss Watson and tell her that we cannot help plan your wedding."

"I'm not here about that."

Riley set her teeth to keep from saying all the things she knew she shouldn't.

Lucas, of course, smiled as if he could hear them anyway.

"Why are you here then Lucas?" she asked.

"Because you are my wife."

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Bet you guys weren't expecting that...don't hate me but if you read my other stories you'd know I love to play around a bit...till next time my lovely readers


	4. Chapter 4

**Lol, you guys are funny. Please let's not resort to violence. Let's all give Lucas a chance to explain himself, or me...but I feel yah people.🙈🙈🙈**

 **Also to clarify, when Lucas kissed Riley it was more of a quick peck on the lips-kinda like saying hello...and like Riley said, the kiss meant more to her than Lucas would have felt. Hmmm, I think that's about it, the rest would be explain as the story progresses and please no violence or any form of physical threat to my well being or Lucas...**

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 **Chapter 4**

"What did you just say?"

"You are my wife."

"Did you hit your head at Martin and Sarah's wedding? Or did their wedding jog your memory to that fact?" she asked.

"I've known it all along. When did you move back?"

"Years ago."

He looked at her, his eyes narrowed. "You never wrote."

"And you did?" she said sarcastically.

He nodded. "Many times actually."

Riley stared at him. He'd written to her?

"I never got any letters."

"Riles, I wouldn't have left and not written, despite the command you issued. I wrote you every week once I got settled. Then when you didn't answer, I tapered off. You told me to go away and never come back. I began to realize at last you meant it. It didn't take me too long to figure out you didn't want to hear from me."

Stunned, Riley couldn't take in the concept.

"I never heard from you, not once. Not even when you first left me. Do you know what it was like? I lost our baby and you walked out — all in the same week. I was devastated. I had nowhere to turn, no one to cling to. Nothing. At one point I wondered if I would ever be able to face life again. Lucas, I never heard a single word from you!"

The muscles in his cheeks tightened as if he were clenching his jaw. "I wrote, Riley, what happened to the letters?"

"I have no idea." She turned to look out the window. "It doesn't matter, does it? What could you have said that would have changed a thing? You left, I was alone — alone with unending grief. You got the life you wanted. What's the point of all these? You're getting married next month."

"Apparently I can't. It would be illegal. We were supposed to go for lunch, I don't know about you but I think I need a drink. We can have a drink, surely," he said. "Catch up. Isn't that what old friends do?"

Lucas regretted saying it the moment it left his mouth.

Riley looked up at him, suspicion and something far darker in those impossible eyes of hers, and the moment stretched out between them.

"Were we ever friends?" she asked, and there was a certain set to her soft mouth that hinted at a vulnerability.

"We were friends," he said, because he'd used the word and thought he ought to defend it.

"That's not the word I would have chosen to describe our relationship back then."

He hadn't heard that dry tone of hers in a very long time, and he couldn't tell if it hurt him or simply stirred him now.

"The appropriate words are hardly seemly, given the circumstances," he agreed.

"I don't know," she said, thrusting her hands deep into her pockets. "Lucas, why did you _really_ come here?"

Why had he come? Lucas could give Riley a solid reason, but would she accept it? Right now she thought running into him at Martin's wedding had been coincident. Which it had. But his next stop had been scheduled — Cory Matthews.

He needn't go there now until things were settled between them.

He was startled by her revelation — she'd been left with grief. He had thought she'd share the relief he'd felt when she'd lost the baby. Hadn't the doctor said a miscarriage was nature's way. Nothing either of them could have done would have saved their baby. They had been too young to be parents. Hell, they had been too young to marry. She'd been nineteen. He hadn't even been twenty.

He couldn't help but watch her as she walked with grace that she never use to have when they were younger. But back then she'd smiled at him with more warmth than he'd known existed in the whole New York, and had changed everything. Just like that.

Clinching his hands into fists, he looked around her office. He remembered every day he'd spent with Riley. They'd been crazy about each other and he'd been unable to keep his hands off her. Her skin had been so soft, so silky. Her hair had drifted through his fingers like gossamer. She'd liked his touching as much as he had.

A lifetime ago.

Today, they were older. Had grown apart. Was there anything left between them?

She looked at him. "Lucas, what do you mean when you said I am your wife?"

"We were too young," he said.

She looked at him.

"We were young, but too young? How do you figure?"

"Riles, you just finished your first year in university."

"And all you wanted to do was become a veterinarian and breed race horses."

He nodded. "What did you want?" Funny, he'd never asked her that. He'd just assumed she'd want what he wanted.

"I wanted you." She laughed softly. "You're right, we were too young. How could I think all I wanted from life was you?" The scorn in her voice hurt.

"You knew all along what I wanted. I had a chance at that."

"Which you grabbed the first chance you got without even thinking about me. Let's not go down that road. The day you left, you told me that our marriage was not legal," she said.

"That's what I thought at the time. I mean that's what the church secretary said when I went to get a copy of our marriage license. Something to do with us being young and that we were missing a parental consent. I mean we did rush to get married because you were pregnant."

By the way her eyes widened, Lucas knew instantly he'd made a tactical mistake.

"Thanks for confirming what I always suspected. If I had not been pregnant, we never would have married," she said. She looked out the window once again.

"That came out wrong. The documents were in French and the secretary said that there were signatures missing. As it turned out since no one disputed the merit of our wedding in the first year our marriage is valid and legal. So yeah, you and I are still married."

"And since you are scheduled to get married next month you want a divorce," she snapped turning back to face him.


	5. Chapter 5

_I am speachless you guys...your comments never fail to put a smile on my face. Just promise me that your family won't sue me after seeing you on the floor passed out 😱😱😱 -oh, if you have a strong need to torture Lucas I suggest to skip a chapter or 2 or better yet from here on till I can't tell cause that will give things away. Ohhh, trust me this story will only get more interesting. Why don't we start by doing a challenge: if by tonight 12:00am I get to have 50 reviews in total (35 right now as of posting) I will post 2 chapters tomorrow instead of 1. Enjoy reading!_

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 **Chapter 5**

"I want to know something," she said softly. "If you weren't getting married next month, would you be here?"

"I don't know." His green eyes were cool, unreadable.

Riley stiffened, her gaze turning frigid. "I'll talk to Smackle. Maybe she can recommend a good lawyer."

"I'm not rushing you—" he growled.

Riley shrugged. She shouldn't have been here, pretending to have a civil conversation with this man as if he wasn't the architect of her deepest despair. But if she was doing such a foolish thing anyway, she reasoned she might as well ask him all the questions that had haunted her these past years.

It wasn't as if she had anything left to lose.

"Why wait? Seven years was long enough," she said. "You couldn't get away from me fast enough back then, I very much doubt that had changed. Did it?"

"I think I've heard enough." Lucas' voice was icy. His gaze was a weapon and it was hacking her into pieces. "I can do without your attempts at sarcasm." He shook his head. "I honestly don't know how to talk to this new Riley."

"People change people Lucas." She shrugged.

He should have known it wouldn't be easy. He reached out to take her hand, but she snatched it away.

"I never meant to hurt you, Riley. But I wanted my chance in the sun. Haven't you ever wanted something so badly you'd do anything to get it?"

She didn't move, but he knew she was thinking. About him?

"I should have come back to check up on you. I asked more than once in my letters if you'd join me. When you didn't respond, I thought that meant no. I wrote so often and never heard a word from you."

"The famous letters," she scoffed.

"Riley Matthews, PO Box 73, Paris, Île-de-France, France," he recited.

"Lucas, I never used that post office box. You left and I went to live with a friend. Surely after the annual fee expired, the post office would have returned your mail."

"I didn't put on a return address."

"Why didn't you? Weren't you staying at the ranch?"

He shook his head. "There's school, training, and buying trips all over the states. I travel a lot when I'm not in school."

"But everyone has a home."

"I thought I had one with you, now find out I don't."

"Did you think I was just going to stay in that poky apartment and wait until you deigned to return? For seven years? Get real."

For some reason, Lucas had thought almost exactly that. In his mind, Riley had been in stasis, not changing, not moving away. Not altering the adoration she had for him. But that had been fantasy. He'd known when she hadn't replied to his letters their marriage was over.

He wanted a chance now to change things.

"I thought you'd wait for me." It did sound dumb, when he put it in words. She's Riley Matthews. The girl who believes in Pluto. The girl who would do anything for the people she cares about. The girl who would fight for the ones she love. The girl who would meekly await his return.

"Like you'd waited for me?" She hardly recognized her own voice. "I need you to go now Lucas. There's no need for us to see each other. Have your lawyer contact Smackle. She will give me everything that needed to be sign."

Riley told herself she wasn't shaking. That it was nothing more than a gust of cool air that made her feel so cold. She was _perfectly fine._

Riley smiled, wryly. "Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. For what it's worth…I wish you and Miss Watson all the best."

 **…**

"Maya."

Maya looked at the brown-haired beauty standing in the doorway of her office and saw a flash of worry.

Riley raked her teeth across her soft lower lip.

"I thought you're going out for lunch? What happened? Is everything okay?" she asked.

Riley shook her head.

Riley locked the door and strode back to her private office. "Maya, Lily Watson is Lucas' fiancé, I'm still married and I need to get a divorce."

Maya hurried to catch up, feeling as dwarfed by her tall, willowy frame as ever. "Peaches, slow down. Start from the beginning and can you please sit down?"

Maya listened intently as Riley explained everything. Maya can tell that she's on auto pilot. She's explaining things like she's a third person. It's taking all of Maya's control not to walk out of her office and threaten Lucas with his life.

"So you and Huckleberry are still married," Maya said.

"For now. Obviously he and I need to get a divorce. I think it's for the best, after all it's time for us to move on," Riley lied, deliberately ignoring the ache inside her chest.

The other woman shook her head vehemently. "Bull shit Riley!"

Riley's perfectly arched brows flew upward. "Language! I need to get a bigger swear jar."

"You're insane you know that right? Maybe what you need right now is to curse Lucas from here to—,"

"Don't even think about continuing that sentence." Riley lifted a hand to tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

Maya frowned. "Fine! So what's your plan?"

"I never thought— I mean, Lucas always said—"

"Oh brother. Riley Matthews do I need to slap you? I'm telling you peaches, I don't mind doing it again after all it's been seven years since the last time I did that."

"I'm going to shut up now," Riley decided.

Maya laughed. "It's okay," she assured her. "But seriously Riles, what are you going to do?"

Riley pushed the painful memories aside to focus on the present, "What I should have done a long time ago. Get over Lucas Friar. I called Smackle earlier and made an appointment. I could really use a friend to go with me."

Maya crossed her feet at the ankles. "What time should we leave?"

 **…**

"When you said you needed an advice and a recommendation for a good lawyer you didn't tell me that what you need is a divorce lawyer." Smackle opened a folder and flipped through the pages. "Who else knew that you and Lucas were married?" Her fingers—long, slender, ringless—drummed over Riley's files.

"My parents, Maya and Farkle. I don't know if Lucas mentioned it to anyone."

Smackle flipped the folder closed with a sigh, slid her readers down her nose and examined Riley over the top of those black rims like the university librarian the first time Riley had asked for a reference book on business accounting. "You've been married for this long without contact so what made you decide to legalize the separation?"

"Because Hop Along wants to get married next month." Maya replied for Riley.

"Dick move, something I never thought Lucas Friar was capable of." Smackle pushed her glasses back up her nose. "Congratulations Riley, you just got yourself a lawyer. Don't worry about my fees because I can guarantee you that by the time I'm done with Mr. Friar, half of his assets will belong to you."


	6. Chapter 6

**OMG!** _You guys are the best and I know I said that once I reached 50 reviews by 12 I will post 2 chapters tomorrow but what the hey, I already got 50 reviews and it's not even 10:00pm and I think it's only right that I post another chapter today!_

 _ **Warning**_ _this chapters contains major emotion and overload RUCAS moments so please take a deep breath and save the plotting of Lucas' demise some other time..._

 _ohh, depending on how nice I feel tomorrow I MIGHT, just might still post 2 chapters...🙉🙉🙉_

 _ **xxxxxxxxxxxx**_

 **Chapter 6**

Lonely.

How long had she been feeling that way? Riley frowned in consideration. Days? Months? Years? Oh, sure. She had more friends and family than she could count. Was adored by them and adored them in return, particularly by Maya and Farkle. But in the six years since she came back to the States, she realized she was still missing one vital element in her own life.

Riley couldn't breathe. The world flashed red, deep and crimson, and her lungs _hurt._ She had long thought that she won't be able to feel the same pain she had felt when she lost her child and Lucas leaving short after. Oh, how wrong she is. Lucas had smashed her heart to pieces.

Riley wasn't sure how long she was staring at nothingness until she heard pounding on her door. Without thinking she opened it.

"I didn't realize that you wanted to get rid of me that fast. Well, that's interesting!"

Eyes like a storm-heavy sky raked over Riley's slender figure as she stood in the doorway of her apartment, so transfixed by shock that she was unable to move.

"Tell me, _ma femme_ —" he lace the words with dark satire "—how long after I left your office did you wait before contacting Smackle?"

"Two minutes."

Was that her voice? Prissy and near-to-lecturing? She tore her gaze away from his.

"I guess I should be thankful that you waited at all before calling your _divorce lawyer_ and have her go after me. By the way, you would be happy to know that Smackle is taking our divorce proceeding very seriously. My lawyer thinks that she's taking it personal. Why is that Riley?"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't ask that," she said, when she was absolutely certain she could speak calmly.

"Why not?" he offered, his tone lazy but his eyes fierce.

"Lucas, I had a long day and I'm really tired," she said with as much patience as she could summon. "I haven't talked to Smackle since Monday. I promise I will call her tomorrow and tell her to play nicer with your lawyer."

"I'm not leaving until you and I talk," he said.

"I don't want to talk to you," she gritted out. It was the honest truth.

Without warning Lucas pushed his way into her apartment a few moments later, Riley tried to see it through his eyes. It was not fancy. She had serviceable furniture, a few photos and two paintings on the wall. Her large window overlooked the street, with a narrow view of downtown, which was spectacular after dark when the lights glittered in the night sky.

Lucas studied the living room for a moment. She waited — for what? Some hint of praise? Some remark that would make her feel comfortable in her own home? She headed for the kitchen, she needed something to drink.

He followed her, looking at the small kitchen, the tiny table at one end with one chair.

"Nice place," he said.

"It suits me." Did he think the single chair was pathetic? Did it give away the fact she never had people over? Let him think any dinners parties were buffet style.

Why did she care?

She made her favorite raspberry mango tea. The fragrance filled the room. She couldn't help smiling at the beautiful aroma it brings.

Lucas stood near the window, gazing out. She should have expected that, he never sat still for long, unless they'd been watching a movie. Even then, his attentions seemed to be split between what was on the screen, and her.

Had he spoiled her for every other man? She'd been so overwhelmed by him. Cherishing every moment together, had she forged unachievably high standards that mere mortals could never attain?

He'd had feet of clay. Maybe that was why his leaving had been so hard. Not that she wouldn't have missed him in any other circumstance, but that he could walk away when she thought the sun rose in him, that had been unforgivable.

He turned and watched her. Riley felt a pull of attraction she tried to ignore. She was immune to the man. She knew he was not for her. All the wishing in the world over the last seven years had proved that.

"Shall we get it over with?" she asked.

"Get what over with?"

"The discussion. Then you can be on your way and I can get back to my normal life."

"If only it was that simple. How did we get here Riley?"

"You don't really need me to answer that do you?" Riley tossed at him, chocolate eyes sparking defiance. "You know why— _exactly._ "

Lucas looked at her, "I was going to visit your dad after the wedding, you know," he said easily.

"Why?"

He took a breath, then spoke, "I figured it was time to mend fences."

"Life has gone on for seven years, what makes you think any of us want fences mended?"

Riley felt the world tilt a little. "I know what you're trying to do Lucas. There's nothing to fix here. Nobody hates you. You're the one who chose to break contact with the people who cared about you when you moved back to Texas. They understood your dream. Believe it or not I did too." She shrugged, remembering.

"Of course you did, that's why we were arguing constantly about it."

Riley went terribly still and frowned at him, "Did you ever try to put yourself in my shoes? We just graduated high school, went to a different country to experience a new culture, found out I was pregnant, got married hastily, lost the baby weeks after and then my husband told me that we should pack up because he decided to move back to Texas without consulting me. Tell me Lucas, how was I supposed to feel and react?"

"I was at a lost too but our lives need to move on," he said, and he could tell how rough he must have sounded from the way she jerked.

"I don't hate you," she said, realizing with a start that it was true. Hate required more emotions that she was able to give. She didn't want to be around him, to be reminded of their past, to put herself in any danger of falling for him again. But she didn't hate him.

"You don't love me, either," he said.

"No more than you love me. You said it yourself, you wouldn't have married me if I hadn't been pregnant."

"Not then."

"Not ever." She looked at him. "Go home Lucas. Forget about New York. You've already made your life in Texas. Get married and have a family. Like you said, we were friends once and as a friend I truly wish you happiness."

"So this is goodbye?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ma femme is my wife in French...


	7. Chapter 7

_**Thank you, thank you for the reviews and comments-if I haven't told you before, I really really appreciate it.**_

 _Before you start reading please be advised that the below chapter contains RUCAS moments that may cost extreme emotional excitement for certain people-meaning please lie down before you start reading._

 _And to be clear I do not own Girl Meets World because if I do well...trust me it will be written differently (not that I'm complaining much)_

 _Enjoy and please do leave your entertaining comments...just so you guys know I did pick up two story ideas just from reading some of your sassy comments so yeah another story on the works...boooo...you guys are a lot of work 😜😜😜😜_

 _P.S. I am not ignoring you guys when you want clarification about certain things, I just can't but trust me when I say that as the story progress your questions will be answered._

 ** _xxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

 **Chapter 7**

Riley looked at him, the refusal trembling on her lips. She didn't want goodbyes. Riley was no longer the insecure young woman who had fled looking for sanctuary in the anonymity of a large city. She had proved herself to herself. Who else mattered?

For a moment the thought of her baby came to mind. She had done all she could to make sure if her child had known her, she would have been proud of her mother.

Would the baby have been proud of Lucas? Beyond his departure, he'd set out a goal and achieved it.

"Are you happy?" she blurted out. "Was it worth it, Lucas? Did you find your dream?"

"Not all of them, no," he said. "Dreams change."

"Yeah it does."

A strand of Riley's hair came loose. She reached up to pull it back, but he beat her to it, brushing back the strands with gentle fingers. His eyes looked deep into hers. "I apologize for leaving you so long. For leaving you to deal with the loss of the baby alone. School and horse training kept me focused and helped to deal with the grief. I truly thought you'd come join me."

"You never came back," she said.

"I did. I'm here."

"Seven years after the fact. That's so long — a lifetime. I'm not the girl you knew."

"And I'm not that young man who left. Give me a chance, Riley. Get to know me today, see who I am now before judging."

Her heart raced. Why was he asking her to do that?

"For what purpose? I have my life, you have yours. I can't imagine you giving up your life, and I won't give up what I've worked hard to attain." Not to mention the peace of mind she worked hard to achieve. Sometimes she was lonely, but it beat the sorrow of the past.

"Can't we look for a compromise? Take a break and come with me. See my world."

"Are you willing to see mine?" she asked.

"I'm not good at the wedding thing," he said.

"And I have no idea how to train horses." Impasse. "And you're forgetting that you have a fiancé waiting for you at home. It's over Lucas."

But that was the problem, Lucas thought savagely. He doesn't want it to be over.

He didn't mean to move. Instead, he leaned across the chilly space between them and kissed her.

For a stunned moment, Riley did nothing.

She could only feel.

Lucas' mouth, hard and hot and _perfect._ The taste of him, igniting her blood, singing through her body, making her dizzy and wild the way he'd always done before.

She stopped thinking, stopped worrying. She simply leaned in closer, let her hands come up to brace against his powerful chest, and surrendered to this simmering heat that had been between them from the start.

He had always tasted like this, like fire and like fate.

Lucas hauled her closer to him and she went, gladly. She could feel the masterful slant of his lips over hers in every part of her. She could taste him, whiskey and more, that dark thing beneath that was only Lucas.

And she was his.

That easily, that irrevocably. As if she'd never been anything else.

He kissed her the way he always had, like kissing was as carnal and fulfilling an act as any. Like he was content to drive them both crazy with only this. Like he could do it forever.

But there was a burst of sound from outside. Riley pulled away, gasping for breath as the streets quieted all over again—whilst everything inside of her seemed to boil over into shouting.

Even so, she didn't let go, and when Lucas ducked his head down to rest his forehead against hers, she didn't push him away.

On some level, she understood that was a more serious betrayal of herself—of these last, hard years—than anything else. But she ignored it.

He didn't say anything. He didn't have to say anything. His invitation was a living thing between them, from the places where their foreheads touched to the slow, drugging sweep of his thumbs against the sides of her jaw.

"This," she said softly, "is not at all wise."

"Perhaps not." She could hear the need in his voice, making it rough. The hunger—and it made her shiver. "But what does that matter?"

"It might not matter tonight, but it will."

"Who cares?" He moved closer, and she didn't realize it until her back was against the wall. "We have the rest of our lives to tally up our mistakes, Riley. Might as well make them big ones."

She wished she could hate him the way she knew she should. Wished she felt something other than the bittersweet tang of sorrow at that sound in his voice, that bleakness that was so unlike the Lucas she'd known.

"I'm not that cynical, I haven't changed that much," she told him.

She felt more than heard him snort, an ugly, derisive sound—and what she felt shiver through her then was that same kind of sorrow, more pointed and more intense.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked, her voice still light, and that cost her.

He pulled away, and Riley imagined the night was that much more frigid in the space between them. In the way he drew his hands away, and left her there against that wall, her face flushed and that belligerent tilt to her chin.

"Do you really want to do this?" His tone was curt. "Because I don't. God help me, Riley, but I've never wanted anyone the way I want you. Nothing seems to change that. Time, space. What does any of it matter tonight?"

"I think it matters more tonight," she started, determined—and ignoring the sheen of what she refused to admit could be tears that blurred her vision.

"No," he bit out. "It doesn't."

And he looked so remote then. So broken that it made Riley's heart thud painfully inside of her. She didn't say anything, but she pushed away from the wall and started walking, heading down her bedroom.

Lucas felt ravaged and undone, as if he'd burst already, but he couldn't seem to keep himself from following her. Like she was the only salvation he'd ever known…

When Riley reached her bedroom she turned and faced him and she slid her hands up to hold him around his neck. He leaned in close, breathing in deep.

"You still smell of coconut," he murmured, his voice little more than a darker current in the shadowed room.

And he still felt…perfect.

There was no part of him that wasn't lean and hard, finely honed and all male. She moved her palms over the flat planes of his chest as if she needed to relearn him, when the truth was, she'd never forgot him.

She'd never forgot a thing.

Riley had fallen head over heels for this man over ten years ago now, and nothing could change that. Not what he'd done to her. She'd loved him from that very first moment. It was a _fact._ As much a part of her as her bones.

She didn't have it in her to do anything now but bask in him.

"I never thought this would happen again," she said before she could think better of it. "I thought—"

Lucas didn't let her finish. He leaned down and captured her mouth with his, pouring all of the need and hunger and torment she'd sensed in him into her with that glorious slide of his mouth over hers.

And Riley delighted in it. In him.

Tomorrow would be soon enough to regret whatever happened here. Tomorrow would be the time to sort out all the smashed pieces he'd leave behind and try, once again, to paste them back together. Tomorrow could be a brand-new start of a whole new slew of grey and lonely days.

But here, now, there was only this fire that had always roared like this between them. That had never died, even when she'd loathed him.

That seemed even brighter and wilder than before.

And so Riley did the only thing she could do.

She dove straight into it—into him—and let herself burn.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

It was so early that dawn was only a hint of blue in the sky outside the windows when Lucas woke in a rush, amazed to discover that he'd slept at all in unfamiliar surroundings. He'd given up on a good night's sleep years ago.

But then he felt the soft weight curled up against his back, and he understood.

 _Riley._

She always had this effect on him. Calm. Peaceful. He'd tried to forget that, like so many other things.

The way their bodies moved together. The way he could take her again and again and never tire, as if they'd been created solely to please each other. The way she fit so perfectly in his arms, as if she truly belonged there.

This was only sex. A long, dark, beautiful night of it, but only sex all the same.

If he had to chant that to himself as he moved closer to her and nuzzled into the warm skin at her neck, if there were any of those far more complicated feelings lurking in the heart he refused to admit he still had, it all disappeared when she woke up and they started their white-hot dance all over again.

And when Lucas woke up the second time that morning, she was gone.

 **…**

Their morning meeting was far more tedious than Riley had expected. Then again, she couldn't say her attention was really on Tara. It was on Lucas and what they had done.

Riley was in agony. Emotional agony from the knowledge that she slept with Lucas and that meant she once again opened herself to a world of pain and uncertainty. She suddenly knew the meaning of the phrase 'between a rock and a hard place.' If the memories of Lucas leaving her seven years ago was the hard place then the knowledge of Lucas getting married to someone else and finally ending what they once had was the rock.

"What do you think Riley?" Tara asked.

"I'm sorry Tara, what did you say?"

"She was asking if you need to add anything to the Chang's wedding preparation.'" Maya frowned at Riley. "I think everything looks good Tara. Why don't we keep the initial concept and make additional adjustments after the meeting with the couple?"

Riley didn't look up.

"Sounds good," Tara said and left the meeting room.

"All right, Riley," Maya said as soon as Tara left. "Explain yourself."

She barely had time to think when she heard herself answer Maya. "I slept with Lucas."

"What?" Maya bit out, suddenly very angry. "When I told you to have sex, I didn't mean for you to go and do it with Huckleberry. I meant for you to sleep with another guy! Someone other than that no good piece of—yeah, yeah…language! So what now?"

"Well?" Maya demanded when the seconds that had ticked away since she had asked the question grew into minutes and still Riley hadn't answered her. "Are you going to tell me just what's going on?"

"Nothing. Nothing that would interest you anyway."

"Ah, but there you're wrong. I _am_ interested. You can't tell me that you slept with your soon to be ex-husband who by the way is engaged to be married next month and not expect me to be interested. Whatever! It's done. You had sex, fine. It's not the end of the world. It's just the one time and you guys are adults now, unlike when you were young and you had sex without using any contraception."

"It's not just one time, I mean it was one night but…never mind and of course we used…" Oh no—no! She could not—must not—desperately Riley forced her attention back to the present.

"You have got to be kidding me! You didn't use a condom?"

"It's not like we plan to—you know," Riley drawled.

How can Riley do this? After everything she'd been through. Maya took a deep breath, settling her frazzled nerves as much as possible. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Love me," Riley murmured.

Maya smiled at her—it was really more of a grimace, Riley thought, and who could blame her—she's a handful. "I love you so much peaches but right now I am upset with you. I get it. You love the guy but sweetie, he doesn't deserve you."

Riley could only stare at Maya. Of course her best friend is right but her silly heart didn't get that message. It never had.

"Are you going to tell Smacke?"

"Tell her what?"

"That you slept with freaking Lucas Friar."

"I can't do that! She'll think badly of me. She'll think that I'm a—"

"A slut? Peaches, you do realized that to be called a slut you have to have slept with at least six different men? Riley you've only been with Lucas your entire life. You are so not a slut. Naïve. Romantic. Love sick. Those are words that can describe you."

Riley looked stunned for a moment, but then, impossibly, she laughed. "Thanks peaches. I needed that."

"You need to tell Smackle what happened. She might be your lawyer but she's your friend first." Seeing the expression on Riley's face, Maya gave her a warm smile. "She's not going to judge you Riles."

Emotion settled in Riley's stomach like a solid lump. "I'm judging me Maya. Lucas might still be my husband legally but emotionally he's committed to someone else. Which means he cheated on her and I was a part of that and-" she broke off, "the worst part is, I'm not even really sorry because I wanted to be with him for the last time. So tell me, what kind of person does that make me?"

Maya reached out and hugged Riley. "Normal. Riley it's not bad to want to be selfish once in a while."

 **…**

Lucas didn't think that his life can get any more complicated than it already is. In blatant disregard of their agreement, Lily showed up at his hotel room and demanded that he drive her to Perfect Moments. He argued but Lily is as strong willed as Maya if not more so which now brings him to this predicament. Lily bounded out of the passenger seat of his car before he could go around to open the door for her. She was obviously excited to be here, to meet with the wedding planner and go over details of the wedding ceremony she wanted. He followed her up the porch steps, wishing he could be anywhere but here.

As he paused with his hand on the knob, his expression must have revealed his conflicted feelings because Lily paused to ask, "Lucas—is something wrong?"

No, _some_ thing wasn't wrong— _every_ thing was wrong, and he didn't have the first clue about how to fix it. But he could hardly explain that to Lily. Not here. Not now.

So he lied. "Of course not," he said, and opened the door for her. "Let's go make wedding plans."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Lily Watson and Lucas Friar are here."

Maya Hart nodded in response to Tara's announcement. She was trying to play it cool, as if the consultation with the couple-to-be wasn't different from any other, but she and Riley both knew differently. Michael Watson was a billionaire who had made his fortune in the telecommunications industry and Lily was his only child.

The day they left Smackle's office, Maya took it upon herself to know everything she can about Lily Watson. The woman after all is Riley's competition in Lucas' life. She was surprised to see that there were tons of pictures floating in the internet about Lily but she couldn't seem to find one where she and Lucas were together. While the identity of Lily's fiancé remained a mystery, her father had publicly confirmed the engagement. Being chosen to make the plans for an event that would undoubtedly be one of the most high-profile affairs of the year, it would be a huge boost for their young company but Maya couldn't care less about that if it means seeing her best friend hurt.

Maya took a deep breath and pressed a hand to her tummy, as if to still the butterflies that were fluttering around inside. After almost four years of hard work and meticulous planning, she and Riley had finally started to build a reputation for Perfect Moments. Recently, they'd been booked to arrange events and nuptials for rich and known people. It was as if the wedding planner gods were smiling down on them, and she couldn't help but grin back at them.

She glanced up to see that Riley was standing by her office door. The furrow in her brow and the clouds in her chocolate eyes suggested that she was seriously worried about something.

"Did the coffeemaker break? Are we out of pastries?"

"Quit it Maya. I know that Lucas is here with his fiancé," Riley assured her.

But unease began to gnaw at Maya. "Tara told you."

"No, I heard his voice…" Riley faltered, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. "It doesn't matter. This is good. Maybe seeing them together will finally make me realize that it's over."

"I can send them away," Maya replied evenly. "I already told Lily over the phone that we can't do her wedding, I'm not sure why she's here. She didn't even make an appointment."

"She's persistent, that one." Maya said lightly.

Riley swallowed. "Yeah, Lucas told me."

"You don't have to do this. I will deal with them," Maya said, her eyes filled with sympathy and understanding. "I don't care how big the headlines surrounding this wedding will be. All the publicity in the world isn't enough if you're not ready—"

"No Maya, you and I both know that the business need this," Riley said, to remind herself as much as Maya of the fact. "We've worked too hard to just simply pass this. I'm ready."

It was a lie, of course. A blatant, bold-faced lie. And, not surprisingly, her friend remained unconvinced. "Ready to see him, maybe," Maya allowed. "But to plan his wedding—"

"It's what I do," she interrupted again.

She managed a smile in an attempt to reassure Maya and went to meet her new clients.

But deep down, Riley felt anything but confident.

 **…**

Lucas had thought he was prepared to see her again after their night together—and then she walked through the door.

She looked exactly the same, as perfect as he remembered. Her eyes were the exact chocolate brown with a speck of gold that had always mesmerized him, her lips were the tempting cupid's-bow shape that had inspired his fantasies, and her curves—

He forced his gaze back to her face, deciding it was safer to focus his attention in that direction. After all, it was the undeniable physical attraction that had got them into her bed the night before.

When their eyes met, he realized that he'd been wrong. On first glance, she looked the same, but there were subtle differences. Where there had always been warmth in those stunning eyes before, there was nothing but ice now. In fact, the look she leveled on him was so cold he nearly shivered before she shifted her attention to Lily.

"Miss Watson—it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Lily smiled warmly as she took the hand Riley proffered. "I'm so thrilled that you're going to plan the wedding."

"I really hope we can," Riley said. "But we're quite booked through the next year, so it's going to depend on when you wanted—"

"Like I said over the phone, Lucas and I wanted to get married by end of September," Lily gushed. "We want to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year as husband and wife."

"That's…romantic," Riley said.

"I told her it was corny and clichéd," Lucas admitted.

Lily swatted his arm playfully. "My mother couldn't be here today because she had a meeting with the hospital committee," she explained. "But this is—"

"Lucas Friar," Maya supplied. "I'm Maya Hart. Ms. Matthews' best friend and business partner."

Lily's gaze shifted from Maya, Riley to Lucas and back again. "You three know each other?"

"We used to," Riley said, still focused on Lily, as if Lucas didn't even exist. "A long time ago."

"It wasn't so very long ago," Maya pointed out. "And you're glossing over a very important detail."

"What detail is that?" Lily asked curiously.

Maya's eyes locked on Lucas' green ones, noted that they weren't so cool anymore. She let her lips curve, just a little. "That Lucas is Riley's husband."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Soon to be _ex-_ husband," Riley hastened to clarify, and managed to smile through gritted teeth.

She didn't know why Maya felt compelled to bring up her and Lucas' history now.

The bride-to-be's perfectly arched brows flew upward as she turned to the man at her side. "I didn't realize you'd been married."

"I am still married," Lucas said. "I wasn't lying when I told you that my relationship is complicated."

Lily lifted a hand to tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ear. The action drew Riley's attention to the stunning—and enormous—diamond on the other woman's third finger.

She'd never had an engagement ring. When she'd married Lucas, they didn't even exchanged simple gold bands. Their wedding could best be termed brief and business–like. Two altar boys had stood up with them as their witness. They had not had their family or other friends. No fancy cake. No reception. A very sad wedding, now that she thought about it.

But he'd done what he thought was right.

Riley had been pregnant with his baby. He married her.

Riley wished now that they had rings to symbolized their legal union; a diamond like the one that flashed on Lily's finger symbolized so much more.

"I realized that this is an unusual situation but I am willing to overlook this hiccup and move forward. Everyone has their past and Ms. Matthews is obviously yours Lucas." Lily said.

"That's very astute of you," Maya lied, deliberately ignoring the look Riley was giving her. "But under the circumstances, I thinks it's best that you get someone else to help plan your wedding."

The other woman shook her head vehemently. "No. I want Perfect Moments to make the arrangements for my wedding. You're company had garnered positive reviews and I've seen pictures of the weddings you had planned and I liked what I saw."

"It's nice to hear that we are becoming popular but I have to be honest, majority of the planning, decorations and details that goes to each wedding we planned are done by Riley. Riley is the talent and heart of Perfect Moments," Maya admitted. "It's best that you hire another wedding planner for your wedding." Maya told Lily once again.

Lily frowned. "Miss Matthews do you agree with Miss Hart?"

"I do," Riley decided.

"That's too bad," Lily assured Riley. "But I guess I understand. Lucas and I hadn't—or even wanted—to fall in love. But when we met, it was like a bolt of lightning."

 _He's not usually impulsive_ , Riley said not realizing she said it out loud.

"Neither am I," Lily told her. "But when you meet the right person—" her smile was absolutely radiant "—you just know it's right."

Lucas looked over at Riley, curious about her reaction to Lily's announcement. Riley tilted her head slightly to one side as she studied him, and was that _anger_ he saw move across her face? The quick glance she sent in his direction—quickly averted—revealed that she wasn't just angry, she's close to tears. Without saying a word she simply turned on her heel and marched off down the hall, away from him.

Not that he could blame her. Lucas had screwed up—there was no reason to sugarcoat that truth.

"That's very nice. We wish you all the best Miss Watson and Mister Friar," Maya cautioned, reaching for her clipboard. "I'm afraid we have to cut this meeting short since we have another consultation in about five minutes."

 **…**

After showing Lily and Lucas out—and a long-overdue telephone conversation with Farkle—Maya had thrown herself into keeping Smackle up to date.

"How bad was it?"

"It was awful," Maya admitted edgily. "You should have seen her. She's hurt—more than hurt. I felt betrayed! So can you imagine how she feels? Smackle I wanted to punch his face."

"Why didn't you?" Smackle asked in a firm voice.

Maya grinned at her friend's comment. Isadora Smackle had come a long way from being a nerd. "Believe me, I so wanted to but you know Riley. If she can chastise us about swearing, what do you think she'll do if I physically hurt Huckleberry?"

"Send you to a corner," Smackle answered back.

"That's our Riles." Maya gripped her phone before continuing, "Smackle, I'm scared for her. This is a completely different Riley. She's eerily calm. I went to her office to check up on her and I found her on the phone talking to one of our vendors like nothing happened."

Maya waited ten minutes after hanging up on Smackle before making her way to Riley's office.

'How are you doing?' Stupid question, really. The poor woman looked devastated but was trying hard to be brave.

'Not so well, actually.' Riley looked up with red-rimmed eyes. 'I'm pretty damned angry right now. I need to think…work out what to do next.'

Riley said damn. Oh yeah, her friend is definitely mad. Maya can see that Riley is already going through a mental tick list of things that needed doing, regardless of how wretched she felt inside. 'You don't have to work anything out right now. You just need some time out and some space. Leave all the organizational things to me or Tara. Go visit your parents or call Farkle. Do something, anything Riley. Just whatever you do, do not go back to that dark place.'

Riley bit her bottom lip. 'I won't Maya. I promised you I would never do anything that stupid ever again didn't I? Have I ever broken a promise? '

'Never.' Maya shook her head then pasted on a bright smile. 'Come on, honey, let's sneak round the back and make a quick getaway. I think a huge drink is in order.'

"That's nice peaches…" Riley paused, eyes growing as she saw the person behind Maya. 'Oh, hello. You're back.'

Maya didn't need to turn to know who Riley was talking to. 'Yes, I would like a word with you Miss Matthews.'

Riley blinked, and when she spoke her voice was still raw. 'I don't think that's a good idea.'

Lily Watson's voice was smooth and cold. 'It may not be a good idea but it is necessary. You and I need to have an understanding. You were a part of Lucas' past and I would like to keep it that way. I don't want any complications and I've never been good at sharing. I am going to marry Lucas next month and nothing and no one is going to change that. Miss Matthews, I am Lucas' present and future and I don't want you to be a part of that.'

When Riley spoke she was calmer, but still pale. 'Look, I don't want to go over this with you. This is between me and Lucas. We were finished years ago.'

'Things have change.'

Riley's eyes brimmed with tears. 'Not for me, they haven't.'


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Look who decided to come back," Farkle Minkus said, resignation layering each syllable. "To what do I owe the honor?"

Lucas leaned an elbow on the bar and stared at his old friend. When had Farkle taken the weight of the world onto his broad and capable shoulders? He had a big job, Lucas well knew, as a head of a big corporation, but the weight of his personality was steeped in far more. "How have you been Farkle?"

"Let's not pretend and play catch up Lucas. Why did you call?" Farkle reached for the beer that Lucas ordered earlier. "If this is about Riley let me make it clear. I'm on her side. I always had been and always will be. The devil can have your rotten soul and the sooner the better, as far as I'm concerned."

"I'm sorry."

Farkle stilled before taking a swig of his beer. "As you should be but it's seven years too late."

Lucas shrugged a weary shoulder. "Hear me out."

Farkle shook his head. "Wheedle and cajole all you want, I'm not listening to you, _friend_. Remember what you told me and Zay when we went to Texas?"

Lucas smoothed a hand over his hair.

"Do you?" Farkle asked. "I guess you don't cause you're sitting here like nothing happened. Well, let me remind you for old time sake."

Farkle's voice was raw and cracked. " You turned me and Zay away when we tried to talk some sense into you. When Zay told you that Riley is in the hospital because she tried to kill herself you punched Zay and told him to stop making lies. You told us to leave you alone and let you grow and stop weighing you down like Riley does because we all have to grow up and stop being like a child. Actually your exact words were, 'Grow up! And if you guys were smart you should stop being Riley. God, this is not fucking Rileytown.'

Damn it, he shouldn't have come back to New York. But he hadn't been able to resist the possibility of seeing Riley or any of their friends one more time. To see how the seven years had treated them.

There was a sadness in Lucas' eyes. 'I know I've been an ass Farkle but I need to talk to you.'

"I spoke to Maya and she filled me in with what's going on. Congratulations, you've completely turned yourself back to Texas Lucas." Farkle stood. "Do us all a favour, don't come back and stay the hell away from Riley. You've done more than enough to hurt her this lifetime."

Lucas stared as the door opened and in came a familiar blonde.

"Maya—"

"You cost her nearly everything," Maya spit out.

Lucas took a step back. He shook his head, momentarily lost. "Maya calm down. I never meant to—"

Now Maya literally spat on the ground. "Bull shit Lucas! Do you think we're that stupid? Don't you ever say that you never meant to hurt Riley because you and I both know that you did. You are a first class jerk and you don't deserve her. She's the best thing that ever happened to you and you discarded her like garbage." Maya squared her shoulders and stepped away from Lucas. "I'm glad you're getting married. I've met and spoke to your future wife and boy, you two deserve each other."

"I know I screwed up." Lucas whispered. She could hear regret in his voice.

"Yeah, royally." For a long time Maya looked at him, mulling things over in her head. "Tell your fiancé not to come near Riley again or so help me I will punch that expensive nose of hers."

Lucas' head jerked back. "Lily went to see Riley?"

Maya just shrugged. There were a lot of things he didn't know.

"We're not exactly friends anymore, are we?" Lucas probably shouldn't have said that. He should have kept his mouth shut.

Anger flashed in Maya's eyes. "Not since you broke Riley's heart and left her. You not reaching out to me for seven years I get but Farkle and Zay?" she asked. "Our friendship means nothing to you."

He rubbed his palms down his trousers. 'I made a huge mistake and I honestly don't have an idea how to fix things…'

'You can't.' Maya couldn't believe she was saying this. 'Riley was the one who fixes things. She's the one who completely believed in you. Without her, you've lost your way.'

He watched Maya and Farkle leave without even giving him a backward glance. Guilt still ate at Lucas. Seven years. He might have made a success of his career and made millions but the payment was high.

 **…**

Lucas felt angry and defeated. Even though he knew that Maya was right he hated that she'd pointed it out. How dared she toss her contempt of him in his face? And yet still her words cut deep, carved themselves in his soul. Lucas couldn't stand the guilt that rushed through him, along with the resentment. Lucas yanked open the door of his hotel room and gazed upon the woman intended to be his bride.

"If your mother catches you in here with me, she's going to have you hog tied by the Secret Service and shipped off to Camp David."

"Hello to you, too, Luke."

"Lucas," he corrected. No one called him Luke anymore. Actually, no one had ever called him Luke but Riley. What he would give to hear her say it again. To remember the wild, carefree days of their relationship. To crisp, autumn nights sitting on a park bench talking about their dreams and their future. It had been so easy then.

But that had been a long time ago, and thinking about the past could be dangerous.

"I'm not worried about my mother, _Lucas."_ Her expression was dead serious.

"You're not worried about your mother because it's not you she'll be after."

A smile curled Lily's lips. "You're right about that, mother won't get mad at me."

Lucas shook his head and stepped back to keep her at a safe distance. "It's late, what are you still doing up?"

"That's the reason I'm here. I want to sleep with you."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"I want to sleep with you." Lily Watson, stood in the centre of the room, her body elegant and straight, her gaze clear and steady and even cold. She looked remarkably composed, considering the situation.

Carefully Lucas closed the door, the final click seeming to sound the end of his freedom. But no, that was being fanciful, for his freedom had surely ended seven years ago, when he'd left Riley in Paris weeks after they lost their baby. Any tattered remnant of it had gone when he'd agreed to marry Lily.

"Lily," his voice seemed to falter and Lucas wished he's anywhere but where he is at the moment. He acknowledge cynically, considering the nature of their imminent discussion—and probable relationship—perhaps his room was appropriate.

"Don't you think it's time we share a bed?" Lily asked as she lifted her head and pinned him with that cold, clear-eyed gaze and Lucas felt his heart harden once more.

He didn't want this. He never would. But she obviously did.

"No."

"Is it because of Riley?"

Lucas took a step into the room, studying Lily. He supposed she was beautiful, if you liked women who's perfection came from a surgeon. She had placed her hands on her hip and stood calmly under his obvious scrutiny, accepting his inspection with a cool and even haughty confidence. All of it made him angry.

"Why did you go back to Perfect Moments?"

"Riley and I needed to straighten things out. She needed to know that you're mine."

Lily's composed answer annoyed him and felt the deep-seated desire to wipe that cool little smile off her face and replace it with something real. To feel something other than hate for himself. But he'd left real emotions—honesty, understanding, love, all of it—behind with Riley. There was no place for them here, even when discussing his marriage. "You're wrong."

"Excuse me?" She asked evenly.

Their marriage was virtually a sealed deal. Her father negotiated the marriage and Lily agreed with an alacrity he'd found far too telling. What a surprise. Another woman on a cold-hearted quest for money, power and fame.

Love, of course, wouldn't enter into it. It never will. Lucas strode farther into the room, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. "I'm not yours Lily. Haven't you been listening? I am still married to Riley. I am her husband which means I am hers. She owns me, heart, body and soul."

Lily swallowed and turned away. A slight pause, and then she spoke, her voice low and steady. "It doesn't matter. In a couple of weeks you'll be divorce and you and I will get married."

Lucas' eyes held hers. "Have you gone through a divorce before? Cause I haven't and to be honest I never thought I would, but that's beside the point. You cannot get divorce in three weeks time Lily."

"We're rich Lucas, we have connections. I'm sure my father can arrange something. I'm already set to get married by the end of September and I don't see why that has to change just because you are married," Lily said, her voice sounded too cool.

"About that. I spoke to your father and told him that he will no longer meddle in any affairs that involves me. I didn't appreciate him making the announcement about our engagement." Lucas stated as coolly. It was his only defence against losing it completely at this moment.

Lily blinked, her mouth turning down slightly before she nodded. "Fine."

"Do you love me Lily?"

Another pause, even slighter, but Lucas still felt it. "Of course I do."

He almost smiled at that. "I don't love you."

She shrugged, her shoulders barely twitching. "In time you will learn to love me and then we'll be happy."

The woman reminded Lucas of a statue, something made of cold, lifeless marble. An icy, beautiful bitch: emotionless, soulless, caring only about wealth and status and fame. Was that the kind of woman he want to replace Riley with? Lily wasn't Lucas thought, anything he wanted. But if he marry her he had to live with it, with her, and the very thought displease him.

Lily's mouth tightened, eyes narrowing slightly. "I don't know what's gotten into you Lucas but I am running out of patience. Do I need to remind you that you need me more than I need you?"

Lucas shook his head slowly. "Correction, I needed your father's business contacts and investment but _never_ did or do I need you."

She regarded him for a moment, her expression thoughtful and yet still so cold. "If you need to sleep with her one last time go ahead and get her out of your system. I'll go back to Houston and won't expect to see you until the wedding rehearsal."

Lucas' mouth tightened, eyes flashing, "Be careful how you talk about Riley."

"I don't really care Lucas. I know you. You may think you still love Riley but you don't. You don't care about anything other than the ranch, your race horses and your ever growing business empire. Those are the things that you value not people. Especially not the wife that you left years ago. You and I are the same so get over yourself and Riley." Lily said flatly , turned away and left.

Briefly he considered whether he should break off his engagement. Find another bride, someone with a little more warmth, a little more heart. Someone who will actually respect him.

 _And just who would that be, when the truth is he already found the perfect bride. The bride he don't deserve._

He closed his eyes briefly, pictured Riley's face etched with pain.

 _You did that. You caused her pain didn't you?_

And deluded idiot that he insisted on being, he more than hurt her. He broke her. His perfect bride.

Lucas gazed dispassionately at his reflection. What a blind fool he was. It was too late to wish for something else for his marriage, Lucas knew. For his life. He'd been living for himself, freely, selfishly, for seven years already. He'd always known, even if he'd acted as if he hadn't, that it couldn't last. Shouldn't.

His expression hardening, he turned from his reflection and grabbed his phone and called the last person he should be phoning.

 **…**

"Lucas Friar."

"Hello Isadora. Thanks again for agreeing to see me."

"You didn't ask, you begged." She answered back, as unruffled as ever.

Lucas paused, amazed at her plain speaking, even a little admiring of it. At least she wasn't pretending to him, the way so many others would. He should be thankful for that, at least. "I supposed I did," he answered slowly.

"Like I told you on the phone, it's not wise to see me without your lawyer's presence." Smackle finished flatly. "This may cost you."

Her astuteness unnerved him. "I am aware Isadora."

"Very well. You can still call me Smackle, Lucas," she said as she shook her head. "But before you say anything else, let's be thoroughly clear. I am not just Riley's lawyer, I am also a very good friend of hers. I may not have the urge to punch you in the face but I can and will bury you deep in law suits for the rest of your life if you hurt Riley anymore than you are already hurting her."

"You talked to Maya." Lucas answered after a paused. He turned to meet her gaze directly. "I'm glad that Riley has you guys on her side."

"Your acceptance does not matter." Smackle answered.

Smackle was coolly challenging him and he respects that.

"I don't want a divorce."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"I don't want a divorce."

"That's not up to you Lucas. And if I may say, you are truly a first class jerk." Ire flashed in Smackle's eyes.

"Yes I know. You're not the first one to tell me that this week Smackle. But if it's not too much to ask, can you please hear me out?"

"Speak." Smackle felt irritation thrum through her body as she made a valiant effort to listen to Lucas.

"I screwed up. I don't need you to tell me that. God knows Maya and Farkle had told me that time and time again. All I need now is for Zay to come and say it too and the _I hate Lucas_ band will be complete."

Smackle simply raised her eyebrows at his caustic tone and Lucas suppressed a sigh.

"I don't want a divorce. What I want is my wife. What I want is Riley Matthews! Money. Power. Fame. Such things seems shallow to me now. But I would prefer my marriage not to be a trade."

Smackle eyed Lucas with eyes hard as metal. "So why are you telling me this?"

Lucas stared at her for a moment, and then decided to answer her with honesty. "Because Riley won't believe me. Like you said, I already hurt her so much that I doubt she'll ever want to see me again."

He walked towards the window, trying to escape the weight of his feeling but failing, because wherever he went they followed. His mouth was dry with the bitter taste of failure, the deep ache of the past seven years inside of him that wouldn't heal.

"I imagine you have a plan. So tell me, where do I fit in it?"

"I need you to stop the divorce proceedings."

She shook her head. "That's your plan?"

"Not entirely." Lucas' lips curved in a humourless smile. "If I'm divorced I would have a hard time kicking Lily out and keeping Riley into my life. And before you say anything, this mess with Lily is not my doing. Her father is a business associate and a family acquaintance who insisted a marriage proposal along with a business one."

Smackle regarded him coolly. "Which you've agreed to."

"No. Not really." Lucas stopped suddenly. "I really am an ass. I didn't agree and yet I also didn't disagree."

"Because you weren't sure about Riley?" Smackle prompted.

"Because I wasn't sure about myself." Lucas said after a moment. "The ranch was doing really well but I still have my doubts and Lily's father offered to invest more funds so we can expand our horse breeding program and hire experts from other country and I got carried away. I wanted to ensure that the ranch flourish for generations to come and that the people that works for me will have job stability. You can say that I got greedy. I should have known that there was a catch but by then my parents had gotten involved and seemed ecstatic about the proposition since they've known Michael Watson for years."

"What a mess. Feels like high school all over again where we got ourselves caught in a web of emotions." There was a surprising hint of humour in her voice, and Lucas' interest snagged on it.

"Can you stop the divorce proceeding?"

"No."

Lucas stared at her.

"I can't stop it but I can delay it." Smackle pursed her lips. "Do whatever you need to do and don't tell me because I am still Riley's lawyer. Fair warning Mr. Friar, you mess this up and you'll definitely see who the real Isadora Smackle is."

"Thank you Smackle."

"I'm not doing this for you. I meant what I said Lucas. Don't waste this chance."

Smackle watched Lucas leave her office. Love opened you up to all sorts of pain. It _hurt._

 **…**

"Lucas?"

Lucas turned around to see his best friend, Zay, standing in the doorway of the bar.

"Zay."

"You look like shit." Zay laughed, the sound humourless and harsh, as he stepped closer to Lucas.

"This is my new look."

"Suits you." Zay agreed, a hint of a smile in his voice, on his face.

"You look great Zay." Things had certainly worked out for his friend.

"Life's been good," Zay offered carefully.

"Zay, I'm sorry—"

Zay shook his head. "I know Lucas."

"No, let me finished." Lucas heard the terse snap of his voice and sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Sorry. It's been a long day."

"I heard it's been a long week."

"Farkle?"

"Nah. I heard it from Maya."

Of course.

"Dude, you gotta watch your back with Maya." Zay's smile was wary. "So, how can I help you?"

Lucas stared at his friend in surprise. Yet how could he really be shocked? Zay was a really good friend and an amazing person. "Zay, I don't know what to say."

"Say that you've finally pulled your head out of your ass and that this time you're going to make it right with Riley," Zay said abruptly. "Lucas, you will never ever find another woman like her."

"I know."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

Lucas clenched his hands into fists. What he wanted _to do_ was see Riley. What he wanted _to do_ was touch her all over, feel her heat, hear the soft murmurs she made when in the throes of passion. Taste her unique flavor, and forget past, present and future in her arms. What he wanted _to do_ was tell her that what he wants is a forever after, and not just some closure from their past.

He thought he had time to decide and to prepare but he doesn't. Could he ever prove to her he could be trusted? That if she gave him another chance, he wouldn't let her down again? It did not look like he was going to get that chance — at least not any time soon. Or perhaps never.

 _ **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

 _Thank you for the comments and wonderful reviews. I just want to let you guys know that you are ALL amazing readers. As much as I love to write stories unfortunately I will be going on a writing hiatus (correct me if this is not a thing) but fear not because I will finish this story before I do so. The story is almost done, about 6 more chapters to go._

 _Enjoy reading!_


	14. Chapter 14

_Hello, just to clarify, I will finish **A Wedding Lost** and **The Story of Us** before I go on a writing hiatus...I will not keep you guys hanging, promise. Also, when I come back I will have the conclusion for Blood Desire. _

_P.S. You guys are wonderful readers and I cannot thank you enough for appreciating my stories. Go RUCAS!_

 ** _Warning:_** _this chapter contains mature language...please skip or cover your ears 🙉🙉_

 ** _XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX_**

 **Chapter 14**

"Let's go."

"Where?" Lucas asked as he stood next to Zay, shoulder to shoulder.

"As much as I want to help you, I'm not good at this. Scheming is not my forte but luckily for you I know people who are experts at this kind of things."

"Zay they hate my guts." Lucas murmured.

"But they love me and besides you won't ask them, I will."

Lucas shot him a startled look. "I can't ask you to do that. Even though what you're suggesting is -"

"The only option available to you." Zay cut him off. "Do you want Riley or not?"

"I want Riley," Lucas said softly.

 **…**

Maya paced the width of the living room and back again, so upset she didn't know how to calm herself.

"Maya..."

She shook her head and made a small, feral growling sound before she walked towards Lucas and curled her fingers into a fist and looked at him hard. "You have some nerve coming in here."

"Maya, beautiful-"

"Stop!" she spat. "Not another word Zay, I am so mad at you right now. And I wouldn't try to help him if I were you Farkle." Her eyes flashed, cheeks blooming with color as she heaved breaths. "Farkle, where is my phone? I need to call Smackle and tell her how stupid her boyfriend is. I can't believe you brought Huckleberry here Zay. Wait till I tell Smackle!"

"You're dating Smackle?" Lucas asked, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Zay is dating Smackle and I'm dating Farkle. Now, you're up to date hop-along. A lot has happened in seven years."

Zay laughed. "Dating? Is that what you call what you have with Farkle?"

"You want to go there Babineaux?" Maya exclaimed.

Lucas smiled, suddenly re-energized as he watch his friends banter.

"What are you smiling about Huckleberry?"

Lucas put a hand up.

"Maya, calm down." Farkle paused before continuing. "Let's hear what Lucas has to say. He may not deserve it but he was a friend and it's the right thing to do. Besides, Riley would never want us to shun him."

Farkle's words came out calmly, smoothly, and Maya listened.

"Maya, coming here wasn't Lucas' idea. It was mine." Zay admitted.

"Figures. He wouldn't have the balls."

Lucas was suddenly tired. He closed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn't want to play the game anymore. He wanted this to be done.

Maya didn't say anything else as Zay explained Lucas' side. Any doubt Lucas had about the reality of Zay and Smackle dating had been erased as he said things Lucas only told Smackle. It also explained the sudden call he got form Zay after seeing Smackle in her office.

"Even if we believe you, I don't know how we can convince Riley. I don't know if you've noticed but Riley is not the same naive young girl anymore. She's changed. She's still the same generous kind hearted Riley but she's also build a wall around her. She became-"

"Guarded." Lucas cut Farkle off.

"That's putting it mildly." Maya scoffed.

People change people. Lucas paused and closed his eyes. Maya was still staring at him, her expression narrowed and assessing.

"How do I fix this?" Lucas asked and Maya just stared at him.

"I don't think you can Lucas."

"I can't?" Lucas looked shocked, almost winded, and Maya felt a vicious stab of petty satisfaction. Then Lucas expression veiled and he pursed his lips. "I don't believe that Maya."

"I don't care what you believe. You left her! You fucking left her when she needed you the most!"

Colour touched his cheekbones, and she knew she'd touched a nerve.

"You don't know what happened. Riley and I-"

"I know more than you Lucas. I was the one who found her lying on the bathroom floor with an empty bottle of pills on her hand. It was me who called her parents and have them fly to Paris as soon as possible because the doctor doesn't think she'll make it. I was the one who calmed her down when you weren't there at the hospital when she finally woke up. And I was the fucking one who helped her pick up the pieces when she eventually realized that you weren't coming back. Seven years. Seven fucking years, I had to watch my best friend slowly die as she waits for you!" Maya snapped, amazed at the words—the feeling—coming out of her mouth.

"Maya," Zay said softly, his voice a dangerous drawl.

"No Zay." Lucas broke off, misery swamping his eyes, his whole body. "Maya's right. I don't deserve Riley. I screwed up. And no matter how many times I say it, it doesn't changed the fact that I hurt the one woman who truly loves me. The one woman that made me a better person. The one woman that gave me the courage to pursue my dreams. The one woman that gave me the strength to be better than who I am. "

"Oh, how I hated you. Darn Riley, she's completely rubbed off on me. " Maya shook her head, the movement violent. "So what's your plan Huckleberry?"

"He doesn't have any that's why we're here. We were hoping you and Farkle can come up with something."

Maya looked at Zay as if he'd lost his mind. "You owe me Babineaux," she muttered.


	15. Chapter 15

_Hello lovely readers, we are nearing the end of the story. Two more chapters to go. Enjoy reading and please tell me what you think._

 ** _xxxxxxxx_**

 **Chapter 15**

Forcing herself to breathe more normally, Riley gathered up her things and stepped out of her car. She relaxed slightly, determined to leave the events of the past weeks behind her temporarily. The second she neared the entrance of Perfect Moments, a news reporter approached and a camera flashed in her eyes.

"What—what are you doing?"

"Ms. Matthews or is it Mrs. Friar? Is it true that you are married to Lucas Friar?"

Riley gaped in the face of the questions, shocked and wordless. Maya and Tara hurried her inside, leaving the reporters behind.

"Oh peaches!" Maya said, pulling Riley into a hug and no sooner did she let go than Tara did the same.

"Are you okay? Why didn't you tell me that you're married?" Tara asked.

"I—I guess I didn't...I didn't know."

Tara looked at her as if she were crazy.

"It's a long story Tara which Riley will explain to you and Gretchen but not now." Maya said while putting a calming hand on Riley's arm. "I spoke to Smackle earlier. Somebody leaked the story about you and Lucas and she needs you to stay out of sight."

Riley shook her head. "Why would the press be interested?"

"Are you kidding me? Riley, Lily Watson is a socialite and Lucas Friar is a known businessman. This is like the Kardashians meet the Rockefeller." Tara said.

Riley's head swam. "So? I'm not famous. Why would the media care or be interested in me?"

"It doesn't matter. The media is already having a field day."

Riley took a deep breath, settling her frazzled nerves as much as possible. "Okay, what do I do?"

"You should lay low for a while. The publicity will be good for the business but with you around it may just turn into a circus." Maya said. "Farkle's family has a place upstate. Maybe you should stay there until this blows over."

"You want me to go away?" Riley asked, more sharply than she meant to. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I know this must be tough but we need to protect our other clients from this intrusion. You understand don't you?" Maya said, hugging her again.

"I do," Riley said, and she meant it. "I will go home and pack a bag. Text me the address Maya."

 **…**

It was already late in the afternoon when Riley reached her destination. She's tired, confuse and definitely upset to appreciate her surroundings and the beauty of the house she's going to temporarily stay at. Farkle guaranteed her that no one else is at the house and that she should treat it as if it was her own.

Riley sagged by the door. She couldn't breathe. All she wanted was to strip off her clothes and lie down. She slowly walked towards the first bedroom and stilled.

Lucas turned towards the sound and almost missed it when Riley slipped out into the hall. He didn't think twice and followed her. She was fast. She was halfway down the hall when he caught up to her, and she looked suspiciously devoid of any reaction when he took her elbow and turned her back around to face him.

"What are you doing here?" Riley asked briskly. "You're the last person I want to see right now."

"And you're the only person I ever want to see."

Riley didn't say a word. She simply turned on her heel and marched off down the hall, away from him. Lucas didn't think. He drew up next to her, lifted her up as if she weighed nothing and walked back towards the bedroom gently placing her on the bed.

"How dare you?" It was a whisper, but it held all the force of a shout. "Do you get some kind of sick enjoyment out of this?" She leaned forward, her gaze hard, and he knew what was coming. He knew what she was about to say and he still did nothing to stop it. "How much more pain are you going to inflict on me?"

"Do you think you're the only one that's hurting?" Lucas grated at her, his face gone frigid.

But Riley didn't care how lethal he looked. She didn't care how he sounded. That great wave of agony and outrage that she'd fought against for all these years simply rose up and swept her away.

"Who else is hurting Lucas?" she demanded. "You? Who threw me out of his life and divorce me? "

"You're the one who filed for a divorce. And if you think divorce is the worst thing I can do to you, you really don't know me at all."

"I know I don't know you." Her voice didn't shake, which was curious, since all she felt inside was terrible, racking tremors, one after the next. "The man I fell in love with, the man I married—where is _he?_ What happened to him?"

"You ripped out his heart."

Another time, that might have killed her where she stood. It might have taken her down. But she was a different Riley Matthews now. Two weeks ago, she was the foolish woman who had let her body call the shots that night and look what that had wrought?

More sadness. More regret.

Riley was full up.

"That's funny," she said. "I wasn't aware you had one."

"Enough." A cold, dark slap of command, and she couldn't help reacting to it. The innate power he wielded so offhandedly. That fulminating glare. "I always knew that there was more to Riley Matthews. Back then we only get to see one half of her. It's always the shy and unsure Riley and by God I wish that she can come back even for an hour so I can have a cordial conversation with my wife."

Riley had to laugh. "Ex-wife."

"We're not divorce yet." Lucas shook his head, looking darker and more drawn than she'd ever seen him—and that little traitor who crouched in her heart and made all of these terrible decisions ached for him, even now. "Argue all you want Riley but until I signed those divorce papers you are still Riley Friar. My wife."


	16. Chapter 16

_Almost done my lovely readers. I just finished writing the ending and it's bitter sweet for me...hope you enjoy reading._

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 **Chapter 16**

"You are still my wife."

She opened her mouth to throw something—anything—at him, but stopped herself. There was something about the way he was looking at her in that moment. Furious, yes, but something far more raw besides.

"I can't do this anymore," she said.

"I know I hurt you," he said after a moment, his voice sounding ragged. "But can you please not look at me like I'm the villain?"

"How would you describe your role, then?" she asked, and though that wave of old heartbreak still swelled inside of her, it was somehow an honest question. "An innocent bystander? The aggrieved party?"

"A fool," he said, so softly she knew he was close to losing his temper entirely. But so was she.

"Tell me one thing." She didn't know what she was doing. She'd never felt so out of control. "Did you ever really love me, Lucas? The way you said you did?"

Riley couldn't look at him. She was sure he'd see the misery in her gaze. Or the hint of tears. "Because I love you. I loved you with all my heart but now I want to forget you. I want to move on from this. I want it all to be a dim memory."

"So you're just going to give up on us?" he demanded. "This isn't you Riley. You believe in Pluto. You fight for the people you love. You have to fight for us."

Riley pressed her lips together and shook her head.

"I love you," he rasped out, raw and broken. "I loved you more than I knew it was possible to love anything."

"Stop it." But it was if she hadn't spoken and the wind stole her words away.

"You were my obsession. I spent years so lost in you I didn't care if the world fell down all around me."

Riley shook her head, but she'd made the mistake of getting lost in his gaze again and she couldn't tear herself away.

"I loved you," she whispered. "And look what came of it."

"You were the only person I ever loved," Lucas told her, and it broke her heart all over again. "I made a huge mistake, I shouldn't have left you. Riley I really did write you those letters. I wanted you with me. I needed you with me."

Lucas didn't know what he expected. His confession hung in the air and Riley's bright brown eyes were the only thing he could see.

She studied him for a long moment and he realized he hadn't the slightest idea what she was thinking.

"Say something." His voice was nothing but a rasp.

He didn't know quite what to do with the way she shrugged then, or that cool light in her eyes.

"What can I possibly say?"

Lucas blinked. "I don't understand."

"You wanted me," she said, and her mild tone made him grit his teeth. "When did you decide that you wanted me? Before or after Lily? Another love triangle with you, but it's hardly an inescapable curse, is it? It's a choice, Lucas. One you keep making."

"I was never in-love with Lily."

"And yet you were going to marry her?" Riley asked, and while her tone was certainly less cool then, it wasn't an improvement.

Lucas felt as if he'd been catapulted into some kind of free fall, even further out of control and hurtling toward the cold, hard ground.

"Do you remember the time when I told you that you were the first boy I ever liked?"

"Of course I do."

"What did I asked you then?" she demanded.

"I asked you if you were worth it. You _said_ you were worth it." Riley swallowed hard, like she was gulping back tears, and Lucas wanted nothing more than to hold her. To soothe her. But her brown eyes spit fire, and he didn't dare reach out. "You lied."

"I didn't lie," Lucas said, low and urgent. "Riley let me explain. Let me make it up to you. Let me show you that I am worth it. I swear to you, Riley."

But she was shaking her head, and she made a loud, frustrated noise as she pushed out of the bed, wheeled away from him and started that determined march of hers again.

"Riley." He caught up to her easily, but knew better, somehow, than to touch her. He fell in beside her as she stormed out through the door. "Tell me how to fix this."

"Fix this?" she echoed him in a cutting sort of amazement, but at least she slowed down and looked at him again. " _Fix_ this?"

"I want that."

She scowled at him. "How? Where do we begin?"

Lucas opened his mouth to answer, but closed it again, as a kind of tight fist seemed to wrap around his ribs and squeeze. And she wasn't finished.

"I don't want to fix this Lucas," she threw at him. "I gave up. And this?" She flung her arms out as if to embrace the whole of the village. Him. Even herself. "This is history repeating itself only this time I won't sit down and play nice until you finally make up your mind. I won't fight for someone who doesn't even see my worth." She let her arms fall to her sides and glared at him. "Go home Lucas. We're done."

Riley meant it. She was finished.

She wanted this to be over. She'd been mourning her broken marriage for seven long years, and she was ready at last to put it behind her.

"I'm not leaving."

She shook her head at him, feeling the sleepless night then. It hung on her like an anchor. There was some part of her that wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and sleep until the new year. To pretend none of this had happened.

"Riley. Listen to me."

And she still loved the way he said her name. She loved him. She'd never stopped in all this time, and she couldn't imagine that she ever would.

But that didn't change a thing.

"I want you back," he said, as he'd said so many times in her dreams. As she'd imagined he would a thousand times before. "I want to try again."

Riley couldn't speak for a long moment, and her heart was like a kettle drum in her chest, pounding into her, hard and hot and low.

"And how will that go?" she asked after what felt like a very long time. Riley shook her head, and she no longer cared if he saw the tears that spilled from her eyes and along her cheeks. She no longer cared if he heard the raggedness in her voice, or saw too many truths in her gaze. It was the culmination of seven long years. It was what she'd prayed for so fervently and this was everything she'd ever wanted to hear. And Riley would love this man until the day she died, but she thought they both deserved better than that.

"I want to believe you," she whispered. "I want that more than anything, Lucas. But I don't. I can't."

"Please," he said urgently. "Listen to me. I don't blame you for not believing me. But I want to prove it to you. I want to be the man you thought I was."

"Lucas…" But she didn't finish her sentence.

He didn't know why he should take that as some kind of encouragement.

"You always made me believe in magic, Riley. Why should this be any different?"

"Because I never believed in magic. I believed in you."

He threw caution to the wind and moved closer, pulling her into his arms, and he couldn't help noticing that she didn't attempt to evade him. Her lovely eyes were solemn and wide, and he wanted to fall into them, so deep he'd never come back.

He did the next best thing.

He kissed her.

The evening was a burst of color then, hot and vivid. She tasted perfect in every way and still, not enough. Lucas held her face in his hands and poured everything he had, everything he was, into each slide of his tongue against hers.

Apology. Love. Yearning.

Loss. Magic.

Hope.

Until they were both gasping for breath and much too hot, and he could see the red flash of desire like a stain against her cheeks.

"I love you," he whispered. "I'm not going to fail you again."

Riley pulled in a deep breath, then another. She pulled away from him and he felt it like a kick in the gut. She gathered herself together, smoothing her palms over her hair and tugging her cardigan tighter around her. And then she reached for the car door and paused with her fingers on the silver handle.

"Goodbye Lucas," she whispered.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"I do _not_ need a man," Riley Matthews pronounced.

Maya scoffed. "And none of us needs chocolate, either."

Since there was no arguing with logic like that, Riley conceded to her best friends this round of the beat–to–death subject and returned her attention to her cosmopolitan.

Smackle leaned forward, an ever–present curiosity twinkled in her eyes. "So it's over?" Just like in high school, the woman had the need to know.

Maya shook her head. "RUCAS? Like that will ever be over."

Smackle winked. "Can't blame the lawyer for asking. I just want to ensure that my client and I are on the same page. I asked Lucas' lawyer for a list of his properties."

Maya nodded at Smackle. "Does he have a house in Hawaii?"

Riley grimaced. "I don't need or want anything from him. I just want him to sign the divorce paper and be done with it. So is the clerk back? Did you get those papers from her?"

Smackle winced and drew her shoulders up guiltily. "I think she is. I'm sorry I got distracted preparing for another case. I promise I will look into it tomorrow."

"Can we not talk about work people? Smackle, deal with those papers when you have time, no need to worry yourself." Maya turned a weak attempt at a glower on Smackle.

Smackle cocked her dark head. "Are you sure about this?" Her innate attorney's skepticism showed in her tone.

"Guys it's over."

There was a moment of stunned silence, then they all erupted with questions.

Smackle asked, "Do you think he'll marry Lily?"

Maya raised her eyebrows. "He's an idiot if he does! So what are you planning?"

Riley reached for her friends' hands. "Focus on Perfect Moments. Go on a vacation. I don't know exactly, but I do know that it's time to move on and try to be happy." Her tone must have been snippy, because they all blinked at her.

Riley took a deep breath to tamp down the anxieties, "I will be fine."

Maya cleared her throat and asked, "Of course you will be. How can you not when we're here for you. But is this what you really want?"

She laughed in a stupid, girly way that would have made the shallow divas of her high school, proud. Clearing her throat again, she said, "And I will forever be thankful for that. So, when are you going to tell me about you and Farkle?"

Fake coughing erupted from Maya. "Hm, well, we're —"

An uncomfortable silence fell across the table. When it stretched too long, Riley said, "I've known for months now. I was just waiting for you to say something."

"I'm sorry. It's not like I wanted to keep it a secret," Maya told her. "But I just can't right now. I thought I'd be prepared if… _when_ the worst happened, but I wasn't really…."

"I get it peaches," Riley said. "I'm not mad. In fact, I'm very happy for you and Farkle. For Smackle and Zay. I couldn't have chosen a perfect partner for you guys."

"Nothing will change Riles," Maya reassured her. "I'm still going to be here for you every time."

Smackle murmured, "Me too. Once I get the list of his properties I will choose the best ones for you to have."

Riley flashed a warning glare in Smackle's direction. "Forget it Smackle. I don't want anything—"

Maya piped up with, "Oh, go ahead, Smackle, do what you must. I'll deal with peaches here."

 **…**

Lucas Friar waved away the waiter's offer of dessert. "Just coffee."

The waiter brought him the coffee and left him.

"Lucas."

"Maya." He let his gaze slide towards the person beside her. "Smackle."

"Hello, Lucas," Maya said with a civility he hadn't expected—an over-the-top graciousness that set his teeth on edge. "Mind if we sit?" Her smile was etched in acid. She added, "We need to talk."

 _Talk._ Perfect. Maya's probably going to tell him when his death will come. And Smackle will tell him when she's going to bury him with law suits and how much of his fortune would go to Riley. Not that it matters. Not that he'd care.

"Tell us," Maya insisted. "What's your next move?"

"I don't have any. Not that it will matter. She's done with me."

"You're giving up?" Smackle asked, obviously surprised.

The women were very still, frowning, worried, searching Lucas' face for little clues. As much as he valued their friendship, he wanted to tell them not to bother to look for answers from him. He had none. But finally, feeling backed into a corner, Lucas sighed heavily and shifted in his chair. "No Smackle, I'm not giving up."

Maya lifted her brow. "Again, what's your plan?"

Lucas smiled at her. "I plan to stay away from her and give her a divorce."

" _I finally understood what true love meant...love meant that you care for another person's happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices you face might be."_ Lucas came across this quote and kept it to memory because he couldn't agree more with the author.

"That's a stupid plan. Have you lose your mind?"

"Maya, please." He cocked his head at her, giving her a frank, slow assessment. "I appreciate the help but I need to think of Riley. I already hurt her so much and I believe that it's time for me to give her what she wants, what she needs. Even though it's killing me."

"How very nice of you," Maya said.

"Would you prefer me to lie?"

"No."

Maya looked away, trying to gather composure.

"How is she?" he asked.

She stared at him, annoyed and a little angry. "Calm."

"That's good," he added.

"No it's not! A calm Riley means a thinking Riley," she said. She sounded angry, but she didn't care. In fact, it felt good. "A thinking Riley is never a good thing. I want my peaches back, Huckleberry!"

"I do too!" He gave them a sad, sweet smile. "I love Riley and for once, I won't be selfish. She deserve to have a new beginning. Riley deserves true love."

Maya stood up. "I guess you really don't love her the way she loves you," she told him firmly.

He caught her arm. She felt the flash of anger. "You're wrong Maya. I love Riley with all my heart," he said in a low voice. "I can't undo the past and Riley can't forget it. I'm not sure if I can stop it from controlling our future, if we do get a future. She's the strongest, most sensible woman I 've ever met. Right now she needs time. It's killing me to be away from her but I have to. Don't mistake that for not caring because if I can, I would shout from the top of the Empire state building that I am madly in love with Riley Matthews."

Inwardly flinching, Maya shook her head. "Then do something Lucas. I know Riley, she doesn't need time. My best friend has been in love with you for so long that you're a part of her. She needs her other half to complete her. Fix this Lucas, please."

" _Sometimes you have to be apart from people you love, but that doesn't make you love them any less. Sometimes you love them more." – Nicholas Sparks._


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you so much! This had been a wonderful, fun filled and emotional ride... A guest asked if Chapter 17 was the ending and initially it was but I decide to change it for fear of someone hunting me down. 😘😘 you guys had been great and deserves this ending.**

 **RUCAS people keep writing, gotta keep the balance! Till next time lovely readers...i shall hear from you again...👋 👋 👋**

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 **Chapter 18**

Wednesday Riley went to work. She had not heard from Lucas since she'd walked away from him. She waited for him to call, but he hadn't. She wasn't sure exactly where he was staying, so she couldn't call him. Not that she wanted to.

That was wrong, she did want to talk to him. She had so many questions. So many feelings that were jumbled and mixed up. She couldn't sleep, couldn't concentrate on her job. She just wanted something to happen to end this awful sense of loss that was engulfing her.

She wished he had never come back. No, that wasn't true. She wished he loved her as she loved him. She had done so as a young woman, and despite her attempts to end it, she loved him still. That was the reason she hadn't dated, no other man could hold a candle to Lucas. She was probably destined to love him all her life. Wasn't that a fine fix to be in?

When she arrived home that evening, Lucas was standing by the apartment doors. Instead of flowers, he held a large box.

"I have the letters," he said.

"What letters?"

"The letters I wrote you seven years ago." His eyes held hers.

 **…**

"I don't believe this," Riley said when they were both in her apartment. Lucas set the box on the sofa and she sat beside it. He opened it, then went to sit in the chair across the room. "Why..how did you-"

"I went to Paris. The advantages of living in the City of Love."

"You went to Paris just to get these letters?" She shook her head, looking at the stack of envelopes in the bottom of the box. She looked at Lucas. "That much?"

He shrugged. "It was over seven years, I told you."

"The postmaster was an old–fashioned man who believe in delivering the mail to the recipient."

She nodded, vaguely remembering some old man who was in charge at that post office.

"When no one picked up the mail he kept them. Said he knew one day you or I would show up for the mail. I put them in chronological order. Read them, Riley. They are your letters."

She picked up the first one and held it for a long moment, her heart beating rapidly. Letters from the past. She checked the postmark, it was just a couple of days after he left.

Slowly she opened the envelope and slid the letter out. Opening it, she recognized Lucas' bold handwriting. It was several pages long. She began to read.

The first letter brought tears to her eyes. She glanced at him from time to time, but he never said a word, just watched her read the missives he'd written so long ago.

The second asked her to join him, just as he'd said. The letters began to blur together as she read them, he'd told her he loved her and wanted her with him. One letter spoke of all the disappointments of the horse racing circuit, and asked to come home. Another described what hopes he'd had for their child, and future children. Yet another told her of his unbearable loneliness and hurt that she didn't even answer his letters — if only to rail against him for failing her.

Gradually the tones changed. He no longer spoke of coming home, or of her joining him. The frequency diminished. The cards for her birthdays held photos in them. She touched his young face in the first one, glancing again at the man sitting so silently across from her.

"I never knew," she said. "I was alone and hurting and so were you. Why didn't you come home?"

"I asked to, you never said come. You only said go."

"Come home now, Lucas. I need you."

He was off the chair in an instant, crossing to pull her into his arms. "I need you to say that. I love you, Riley. I always have. We didn't get married because of the baby, we got married because we are a part of each other. We were too young to handle what life threw our way. But we are older and wiser now. Marry me. Have my babies. Grow old with me. What do you say, Riley? Love me until the end of time, for that's how long I'll love you."

Riley cupped Lucas' face in her palms, gazing deep into his eyes. She saw only love. "I say yes. I love you, Lucas, I always have. I'm so sorry for the lost years. For the pain you went through all alone."

"I'm sorry for yours, sweetheart. I always thought you were ignoring me. It never once crossed my mind that you didn't get the letters."

"I'll always cherish them," she said through her tears. "I love you."

"I love you." He sealed the vow with a kiss.

"This time we'll do it right," Lucas had said.

"Do what right?" she asked stiffly.

He leaned forward, intently. "You and I are going to have a big wedding. We'll have cakes, flowers and music. Our families and friends are going to be there."

"We don't have to. We're still married. There were some clerical problem or something. We just need to tell Smackle to cancel the divorce proceeding."

"About that—"

Riley cut him off. "There was no issue was there?"

He said nothing. He held her eyes for a moment. "No. There was no way I would let you get a divorce Riley. You and I belong together. Forever."

"Forever."

 **…**

Riley remembered his words as she stood with her father in the vestibule of the church. Tara reached out to twitch her gown into place.

"I'll wait here for you when the ceremony is over," she said smiling brightly. "Then we'll take the wedding photographs at the altar when the church empties, before heading to the reception."

"I know, Tara," Riley said smiling back. Hadn't she said that to hundreds of brides before her?

"Just practicing boss. Knock him dead!" She gave Riley a thumbs–up and moved to the door, watching as the bridesmaids walked down the aisle.

"I guess you know what you're doing this time," her father said patting her hand held in the crook of his arm.

"I always knew," Riley said, impatient for the Wedding March to begin. She was anxious to pledge her love publicly in front of all her friends and family. Lucas had known exactly how to make their start in life perfect — the wedding she'd always dreamed of.

"He better not walk out again," her father said.

"He won't. Give him a chance, Dad, he's a good man. I trust him with all my heart."

Lucas was waiting at the altar with Zay as his best man. He and Zay had gotten closer again. Zay had flown to China with Lucas for a race. Their team finished in the top three at the end of the season. Next year, he'd promised, they'd sweep the circuit.

She knew she couldn't talk him out of racing. She wouldn't try to change him. He'd been right. They were older and wiser. She loved him as he was. As he loved her just as she was. If he wanted to race, so be it. He would hate being confined, constrained and any love he had for her would change over time if she asked that of him. No one said life would be easy. Just easier together.

The familiar music started, the congregation rose to their feet and turned to look at her.

Lucas stepped out, as if coming to meet her when she and her father entered the sanctuary. His eyes were only for her. Riley could scarcely see through her tears of happiness, but she focused on the one man who would be there for her from now on. No matter what, he was not leaving, he'd made that promise over and over. And she would never utter words that would make him think he should go.

They'd been given a second chance. She grabbed hold with both hands. Never to let go.

"Dearly beloved," Lucas said softly, just before the minister began.

 _ **The End**_

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 **…**

 _Wait…Hold on… there's more…_

 **Epilogue**

Riley raced up the walk to her daughter's preschool as quickly as a woman seven months pregnant could.

Maya, four months postpartum and carrying her baby boy in a nifty sling, was much quicker, passing Riley and opening the door for her. "You got a call, too?"

Riley nodded grimly. "Any idea what happened?"

Maya shook her head. "Only that there has been some sort of trouble."

They entered the preschool their daughters attended and came face–to–face with Smackle.

Riley grinned. "Yours, too?"

She nodded and started to talk at once about the call they'd each received asking them to come to the school immediately.

The preschool director who'd made the call, Mrs. Beale, came out of her office. "Good, you're all here. If you'd please step into my office?"

Riley led the way, not entirely surprised to see three little girls, all within nine months in either direction of their fourth birthday, sitting in little chairs along the wall. She looked immediately at the one belonging to her.

While Lucie might have inherited her father's glossy dark blonde hair and startling green eyes, the assured tilt of her delicate chin and spark in her gaze came straight from her mother.

Riley tried to give her a stern look, but a smile snuck through.

Mrs. Beale closed the door behind the mothers. "Thank you for coming so quickly, ladies. Normally I wouldn't handle things in this manner, but there seems to be a trend evolving with your daughters taking matters into their own hands."

Riley raised her brows and looked at the women who had been her best friends since high school. "Could it be genetic?"

Smackle, her eyes twinkling, shook her head. "Environmental."

Maya groaned. "Don't tell me. The Detention Gang, the Next Generation."

Except for the bewildered Mrs. Beale, they all burst out laughing, starting their beautiful little girls giggling, too.

Riley sent up a thanks for the blessings she'd received. Not only did she have an incredible husband in Lucas and a beautiful sprite of a daughter — and a baby boy on the way — she had the most wonderful, dearest friends on earth.

And they all had been blessed in the best way possible — with love.

 _ **The End (for real this time!)**_


End file.
